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What a rat........he’s put the blame on Hockey! It’s like being back in a time
warp... "Up to his neck"
No deal: Attorney-General George Brandis denies Bell Group scandal
15 minutes ago November 28, 2016
ATTORNEY-General George Brandis has denied there was ever a deal between him and the WA government which would have helped the state gain nearly $1 billion back from Alan Bond’s Bell Group.
Senator Brandis denied any knowledge of talks between the Federal and State Governments until March 2016 in a statement to the Senate today.
The Attorney-General had opted to outline his part in the alleged secret deal between the two governments after the Opposition called for his resignation over the matter last week.
Senator Brandis said there had been discussions between the two governments — former Treasurer Joe Hockey had spoken to the WA Treasurer Mike Nahan in April 2015 about the matter.
But he was only informed of the discussions in March 2016.
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Australia's Attorney-General George Brandis also denied there was any connection between the Bell Group case and WA’s GST woes. Picture: AAPSource:AAP
“Since the Commonwealth’s proof of debt was for some $167 million and a total post liquidation tax assessment of some $298 million, it was plainly in the Commonwealth’s interests that the matter be settled or otherwise expeditiously finalised,” Senator Brandis told Parliament today.
The Senator said the discussions between Mr Hockey and his WA counterpart had not constituted an agreement — nor did he ever make an agreement with the WA Attorney General Michael Mischin.
Senator Brandis also denied there was any connection between the Bell Group case and WA’s GST woes.
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Former Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson. Picture: AAPSource:AAP
Labor and the Greens called for the Attorney-General to be sacked last week after a report by The West Australian outlined an agreement between Brandis and his WA counterpart Michael Mischin, which would have seen the state gain the major portion of the Bell Group’s $1.8 billion.
The deal tanked after the High Court ruled 7-0 against WA’s bid for the money in May.
It had failed in part due to former Solicitor General Justin Gleeson’s advice to the Australian Taxation Office — an argument which Senator Brandis had reportedly verbally told his ex-colleague not to raise with the ATO.
The torpedoed deal was reportedly one of the reasons behind the pair’s toxic row, which eventually led the Solicitor General to resign in October.
Senator Brandis said on Monday that while he had not intitally thought the Commonwealth needed to intervene on the matter, he had accepted Mr Gleeson’s advice when the pair spoke in March 2016.