Thread by @BelindaJones68

I believe the PM @ScottMorrisonMP has misled parliament during #qt on a number of occasions over the past week about the Australian Embassy in Israel.

Here is how I've come to that conclusion, stick with me on this

Let's start with the timeline of events so far:
#auspol

Y'day, Thurs 25th Oct 2018, it was established in #Estimates that @ScottMorrisonMP made the decision to move the Embassy on Sunday 14th Oct 2018 without consulting DFAT or his Cabinet.
#auspol
abc.net.au/news/2018-10-2…

Later, in Hansard, PM says it was bcuz @DaveSharma wrote a 'persuasive' article in back in May.

Transcripts further down in thread.
#auspol

Sunday arvo 14th - PM calls @MarisePayne , to tell her he's announcing that the Australia govt is considering moving the Australian Embassy in Israel.
#auspol

https://twitter.com/Shorten_Suite/status/1055343743904047104

Monday morn 15th- Gary Quinlan briefs Jakarta, @ScottMorrisonMP's impending announcement leaked to Channel 7
#auspol
afr.com/news/marise-pa…

Monday arvo 15th- Frances Adamson (DFAT Secretary) briefed by Payne's Chief of Staff, not by @MarisePayne or the PM, but by Foreign Min Marise Payne's Chief of Staff.
#auspol

Monday night 15th- Indonesia reacts angrily by text msg to Marise Payne, @LaundyCraigMP notified (he says it 10 mins 43 secs on #NationalWrap)
iview.abc.net.au/show/national-…

Tuesday 16th October - Morrison and Payne announce the PM's the govt is considering moving the Embassy.

48 hours after @ScottMorrisonMP's brain fart, you could call it a cutesy 'Capt's Call' but actually it is a dangerous attack on Australian democracy.
#auspol

At this press conference -

Journo asks Payne: "Will Indonesia object to this position by Australia?"
Payne: Lies by omission, says PM can answer that, deflects

She had ALREADY received angry texts from Indonesia the night before when asked that ?
#auspol
theguardian.com/australia-news…

Even our PM is supposed to tell the truth in the HoRs & follow due process.

Here's the PM's Hansard transcripts where he repeatedly says, we/our govt is considering this move.

It appears only HE & @DaveSharma are considering it.
#auspol
@tanya_plibersek Q. (14:44) Tues 16th

@billshortenmp's question Tuesday 16th

PM says he read a persuasive ARTICLE in May 2018, five months ago, by Dave Sharma that inspired him to move the Embassy this week, without consulting his Cabinet, his party room, public servants. He did it because of @DaveSharma
#auspol

Yet, throughout ALL of these Hansard transcripts the PM says it's the govt's decision, our/we have raised the question, etc.

Um.. NO @ScottMorrisonMP

You DID NOT consult your govt, so how can you say to Parliament with any certainty that it is the position of the govt?
#auspol

That is called misleading Parliament.

@ScottMorrisonMP's reply to @billshortenmp here says basically:

I think, I did, I consulted, I indicated, I found, etc.

Then says, 'WE dared consider'

Fact: PM didn't give his govt OPPORTUNITY to 'consider' his rushed Capt's Call
#auspol

@RichardMarlesMP Q to the PM

PM lies again, says the matter was discussed with Cabinet yet Payne is a part of that Cab & in #Estimates she said she was notified of the decision to make the announcement via PM's phone call on Sunday arvo 14th.

The decision had BEEN made
#auspol

@tanya_plibersek question to the PM 25th Oct

PM reiterates that all this is because he was persuaded by Dave Sharma's article to announce this.
#auspol

Now, I fancy myself a bit of a writer, but hell, you'd have to be a pretty bloody special writer to write an article in May that prompts the Australian govt to do this.

If Sharma can convince PMs to do this, then I reckon he should be a writer not diplomat or politician!
#auspol

Last I checked we lived in a democracy @ScottMorrisonMP , not a dictatorship.

Things are done by due process & proper consultation not because @DaveSharma writes a fucking article that gives you a boner.

#auspol

@ScottMorrisonMP you have misled parliament by inferring AND saying your govt had been consulted when it hadn't been fully consulted or the proper processes followed. In fact, they'd hardly been consulted at all.

You have misled parliament @ScottMorrisonMP.
#auspol

And @ScottMorrisonMP , even if some smart-arsed, fancy schmanzey lawyer can prove me wrong about you having misled parly, that's fine because either way, fact is, you have been PROVEN to be THE most dangerously incompetent Prime Minister Australia has EVER had.
#auspol

@Shorten_Suite @MurrayWatt @KKeneally @SenatorWong @Tony_Burke @AlboMP @CatherineKingMP @JulieCollinsMP @markdreyfusQCMP @Bowenchris @JEChalmers @Des_Hardman @kimbakit #auspol