Pm Gives Senator A Grilling On His Links With Burke

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday March 7, 2007

Phillip Coorey Chief Political Correspondent

THE West Australian Liberal senator David Johnston has been elevated to the ministry, but not before the Prime Minister, John Howard, questioned him extensively about his previous contacts with the disgraced lobbyists Brian Burke and Julian Grill.

Senator Johnston filled the vacancy created by Ian Campbell who was sacked at the weekend after admitting to meeting a delegation last year which included Mr Burke.

Senator Campbell was forced to resign because his admission came as the Government was rounding on the Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, for having met Mr Burke three times in 2005.

"Because he comes from a state that has been in the news, I have discussed at some length with Mr Johnston his links with various people," Mr Howard said.

Mr Howard was aware Senator Johnston owns shares in publicly-listed mining companies - Croesus Mining and Murchison Metals - but was unaware the companies had used Mr Burke and Mr Grill as lobbyists.

Senator Johnston told the Herald he didn't know about the link either but said he would sell the shares or put them in a trust to erase any doubt.

Mr Howard said the tenuous share link would not affect his decision to make Senator Johnston the Justice and Customs Minister, previously held by a fellow WA senator, Chris Ellison.

Senator Ellison will move to the cabinet and assume Senator Campbell's Human Resources portfolio.

Mr Howard said Senator Johnston did have an association with Liberal outcast Noel Crichton-Browne, as did many in the WA Liberal Party, "but that association ended some time ago".

Senator Johnston it had been eight or nine years since he last spoke to Mr Crichton-Browne and said he had never dealt with Mr Burke. He and Mr Grill were partners in a Kalgoorlie law firm in 1982 and 1983.

He said his last contact with Mr Grill was in 2000. Back then, Senator Johnston was the state secretary of the Liberal Party and Mr Grill, a guest columnist for The Australian, interviewed him. He encountered Mr Burke in a radio station on the evening of the November 2001 federal election.

"I am satisfied after a very careful discussion with him that there are no issues that arise therefrom," Mr Howard said. Mr Howard continued his assault on Mr Rudd over the Burke affair, despite a fortnightly Newspoll showing Labor's support had risen in the wake of the attacks.

"These matters have a while to have an impact if they're to have an impact," he said. "But there's an issue involved in relation to Mr Rudd that is there irrespective of its poll impact."

Mr Howard said Mr Rudd's accusation that he was abusing the office of Prime Minister showed an "extraordinary" double standard. "This is a new variant of the Westminster doctrine: Thou shalt not as prime minister criticise the leader of the Opposition. It's the new 11th Commandment of Australian politics."

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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