Leigh Sales shuts down Malcolm Turnbull
If Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull thought he'd get a free ride with journalist Leigh Sales on the ABC's 7.30 program, he would have been mightily mistaken.
He was on the program to push the government's new billion dollar innovation policy but things quickly took a turn when Sales, who has previously been criticised for a soft interview with Turnbull, pressed the prime minister on the controversy surrounding MP Mal Brough.
He dodged, he weaved and scuttled past an answer, saying that he didn't want to “go into the ins and outs of Mr Brough’s remarks, but certainly it’s an issue that we’re all very keenly aware of, but there is an investigation under way and it will take its course”.
But it was one question in particular that sparked the fast and fiery exchange.
If Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull thought he'd get a free ride with journalist Leigh Sales on the ABC's 7.30 program, he would have been mightily mistaken. Photo: ABC
When Sales questioned whether the Mal Brough scandal could plague his government in the same way Craig Thomson was for Julia Gillard, Turnbull fired back.
“I’m sorry you’ve lost interest in innovation,” he quipped, a touch of passive-aggressive in his voice.
After a brief and sarcastic exchange from the two, it was Sales who came out on top.
“If every guest on the program came on and they only got to talk about what they wanted to talk about, it would be a very different program. Now listen... she said before being cut off by Turnbull.
“Let me ask you this question, how interested do you think -” he started.
But Sales quickly interjected.
“I ask the questions on this program. I think they’re very interested quite frankly,” she asserted.
"Do you think they're more interested in innovation and jobs?" Turnbull continued.
"I'll tell you what I think they're interested in. One of your colleagues resigning from the Liberal Party to join the National Party, Ian Macfarlane," Sales responded.
Asked whether Mr Brough had offered to step aside, Mr Turnbull said: "I don't want to go into discussions between myself and ministers on this or any other matter."
As Sales later questioned him on whether his political honeymoon was over, a tense Turnbull clearly didn't appreciate the line of questioning.
"You often invite me to comment on myself, but that's your job and I don't want to do a work to rule here, but it's very much your responsibility," he said.
Mr Brough is facing a police investigation into whether he asked James Ashby, a former staffer of Peter Slipper, to copy the former Speaker's diary.
The special minister of state told parliament last week that he did not make the request of Mr Ashby, despite saying in a television interview last year that he did.
Mr Turnbull told the ABC's 730 program on Monday that Mr Brough had clarified his position in parliament.
"He has set out to explain it," Mr Turnbull said.
"I really don't want to go into the ins and outs of Mr Brough's remarks, but certainly it's an issue we are all very keenly aware of."
