SUBJECTS: IBAC inquiry; Anthony Byrne; National Anti-Corruption Commission.

MICHAEL ROWLAND, HOST: Let's get back to federal politics now and veteran Labor MP Anthony Byrne has resigned from a powerful parliamentary committee after admitting to branch stacking and misusing Commonwealth-funded staff, but he's staying in Parliament for now. Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese joins us now from Sydney. Mr Albanese, a very good morning to you.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning, Michael. Good to be with you.
 
ROWLAND: Now do you support Anthony Byrne staying in Parliament as a Labor MP?
 
ALBANESE: Well, yes. What he has said is that he'll wait for the IBAC processes to be concluded before he determines his political future. And it is important that these independent processes are allowed to take their course, make recommendations. I note that the head IBAC, the Commissioner, made comments about Anthony Byrne’s evidence when it was concluded, saying that he thanked him for the honesty of his evidence in coming forward.
 
ROWLAND: What did you make of the evidence? What do you make of him, firstly, admitting the brand stacking?
 
ALBANESE: Well, he's put his hand up and said this is a wrong practice and it needs to be weeded out. And indeed it does. Myself and Daniel Andrews, last year, intervened to suspend the operation of the entire Victorian branch when some of these revelations came to light in the 60 Minutes program. We intervened within 24 hours, we expelled Adam Somyurek, we took over the branch and appointed Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin, two people beyond reproach, to assess the entire operation of the branch. They have made recommendations now to the National Executive that have been adopted. We took over all the preselections. We had one of the big four accounting firms do a complete audit of all of the membership of the branch to make sure that only legitimate members were allowed to continue. And that process led to the exclusion of a whole range of members from the membership lists.
 
ROWLAND: You expelled Adam Somyurek for branch stacking, a clear breach of party rules. Anthony Byrne has admitted on camera to doing the same thing. Why won't you expel him?
 
ALBANESE: Let’s be very clear. The allegations against Adam Somyurek were of a very different nature and went to a behaviour and an attempt, in his own words, to essentially control the Victorian branch.
 
ROWLAND: But Anthony Byrne has breached party rules by branch stacking. So, on that basis, why is he staying in Parliament as a Labor MP?
 
ALBANESE: That’s a matter for -
 
ROWLAND: No, this is a matter for the Labor Party, separate to what IBAC does. He's breached party rules. Now you're the party leader. What action will you take against him?
 
ALBANESE: Well, we'll wait for the IBAC processes.
 
ROWLAND: But this is separate to IBAC, Mr Albanese. This is this is a party matter. He's breached party rules. You're the party leader. What action will you take against the party?
 
ALBANESE: The party has been suspended, Michael. The operations of the party remain suspended.
 
ROWLAND: I’m talking about Anthony Byrne.
 
ALBANESE: I know what you’re talking about. From time to time, there are breaches of party rules and the processes kick in to deal with that. But while IBAC is undertaking these investigations, it’s important that they be allowed to take their course.
 
ROWLAND: What processes, therefore, are kicking in for Anthony Byrne on branch stacking?
 
ALBANESE: Well, we'll await the IBAC -
 
ROWLAND: Excuse the interruption. Why do you need to wait, Anthony Albanese? This is a party matter.
 
ALBANESE: Because you have an independent investigation. The party has been suspended, its operations. No one is benefiting from branch stacking in Victoria as a result of the very strong action which was taken by Labor. And that compares with the Victorian branch of the Liberal Party that have seen Kevin Andrews lose his preselection as a result of brain stacking in that electorate. They have seen people like Michael Sukkar and others continue to operate as ministers in the Government, even though it's very clear that they've been engaged in branch stacking in the Victorian branch, bringing the branch into disrepute, with no action whatsoever. We took swift action. We intervened into the Victorian branch.
 
ROWLAND: Anthony Byrne has also admitted in his evidence to misusing Commonwealth-funded staff to do factional work. Do you endorse that behaviour?
 
ALBANESE: No, I don't. Very clearly. And finance has audit processes that they undertake. 
 
ROWLAND: Will you refer that conduct to the Finance Department?
 
ALBANESE: The Finance Department have an audit every month of every MP.
 
ROWLAND: Will you be proactive, though? As a leadership move, would you refer that behaviour to the Finance Department?
 
ALBANESE: They have proactive processes, Michael. Every month, they have a proactive process already. And that is in place. We have an independent parliamentary authority, IPEA, that examines every dollar of expenditure of every MP, that has the power to look at all of these matters.
 
ROWLAND: Okay, just finally, very quickly, I know the Labor Party has been making a lot about what it argues is the lack of standards and integrity in the Federal Government and you're going to pursue Christian Porter when Parliament comes back. Won’t those attacks on Christian Porter be blunted somewhat with Anthony Byrne still sitting as a Labor MP?
 
ALBANESE: Not at all, Michael. We want a National Anti-Corruption Commission with teeth, with the power to have independent investigations. We support IBAC in its processes. We support the Independent Commission Against Corruption. That contrasts with a Government that has failed to introduce a National Anti-Corruption Commission, that on the ICAC in New South Wales, that has dealt with Gladys Berejiklian, who I remind you, continued to sit as Premier of New South Wales for a year after the revelations that occurred before her last ICAC appearance, the Prime Minister's response was to criticise the ICAC. We support independent processes, we support integrity, we take action when we see issues. That's why we’ve expelled a number of members. I expelled John Setka from the Labor Party within weeks of becoming leader. I've intervened into the New South Wales branch to change the rules and to change the structures there to weed out improper practices. We've intervened into the Victorian branch, which remains suspended from its operation like conferences and preselections. We have a very proud record of making sure that politics is cleaned up. It needs to be. And that's why we need a strong National Anti-Corruption Commission with the power to investigate on an independent basis where there's improper process. And people like Christian Porter received a million dollars of donations, up to, for a private legal matter against the ABC and won't tell us where that money came from.
 
ROWLAND: We'll leave it there, Anthony Albanese. Thank you very much for your time this morning.
 
ALBANESE: Thanks very much, Michael.
 
ENDS