Cash outburst defended

MALCOLM Turnbull has defended senior minister Michaelia Cash, saying she was “provoked” into an angry rant in which she threatened to air rumours about young women who worked for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Senator Cash is still refusing to apologise for the outburst and caused even more chaos yesterday when she walked into a Senate hearing behind a whiteboard protecting her from waiting TV cameras.

Mr Shorten said he was angry his “smart, dedicated, hardworking” staff had been “smeared” by the Jobs Minister.

“I’m honestly shocked she hasn’t said sorry. I’ve been waiting for her to ring up my office and organise it,” he said.

“It’s this sort of nonsense that turns people off politics. We should be focusing on the things that matter to Australians, not hurling insults and making up stories about people who can’t defend themselves.”

But Mr Turnbull said Senator Cash had been “bullied” in the parliamentary hearing by Labor senator Doug Cameron, who he said had made “insinuations about staff”.

Government minister Peter Dutton threw more fuel on the fire yesterday by claiming Mr Shorten had “a history of problems” in his personal life.

He said Coalition MPs were frustrated by Labor figures, including Mr Shorten, being “virtuous” when they did not have “great grounds” to do so.

Mr Turnbull yesterday completed ministerial changes triggered by the resignation of Barnaby Joyce. Former Nationals minister Darren Chester will be Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel and Minister Assisting for the Centenary of ANZAC. Keith Pitt will be Assistant Minister to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack.