Shorten hits out at `smear campaign’

OPPOSITION Leader Bill Shorten says the royal commission that questioned his credibility is an $80 million “smear campaign”.

After two days of questioning, Mr Shorten said he was proud of his record as a union leader but that Prime Minister Tony Abbott had taken “Australian democracy into the basement” with the taxpayer-funded royal commission into unions.

He said he had answered more than 900 questions at the royal commission, in what was a “tawdry, lowrent” distraction from more important issues.

“It is not a fit and proper purpose to smear your political rivals,” Mr Shorten said. “Now it is time for the Liberal Government to get on with the job of running Australia than engaging in political smear campaigns. Do your day job, Mr Abbott.”

He dodged questions raised in Thursday’s hearing about his credibility, saying Commissioner Dyson Heydon had a job to do.

“I am proud and willing to talk about what I’ve accomplished for Australian workers,” he said.

Mr Shorten visited The Alfred hospital in Melbourne to discuss the Abbott Government’s health funding cuts with nurses. But he was unable to escape questions about his royal commission appearance.

He said concerning allegations about unions raised at the royal commission were “pretty thin”.

Mr Shorten criticised Mr Abbott’s spending on the royal commission, saying the money would have been better directed to domestic violence support services.

Meanwhile, Mr Shorten is facing pressure from within Labor to promise a royal commission that targets the Liberals.

Opposition frontbencher Kim Carr said a future Labor government would have to consider the precedent Mr Abbott has set in pursuing two royal commissions into Labor-related issues.

“This has all the hallmarks of a totalitarian regime trying to put its political opponents on trial,” Senator Carr said.

“The Labor Party, when it returns to office, will be under incredible pressure to respond to this precedent.”