PM dips toe into US vote dispute

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison agreed to help US President Donald Trump’s investigation into a probe looking at Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

Mr Trump phoned Mr Morrison to ask for help with his inquiry, which was looking into how the investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller started.

Australia’s former high commissioner to the UK, Alexander Downer, played a significant role in sparking the FBI investigation of the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mr Morrison agreed to support the inquiry.

“The Australian Government has always been ready to assist and co-operate with efforts that help shed further light on the matters under investigation,” a Government spokesman said yesterday.

“The PM confirmed this readiness once again in conversation with the President.”

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said the Prime Minister needed to give straight answers about the phone call.

“I think Scott Morrison needs to be very clear about the circumstances around this phone call, what was said and whether any agreement was reached in terms of assistance,” he said in Sydney.

Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten called on Mr Morrison to release a full transcript.

“Prime Minister Morrison got a very warm, indeed special, reception from President Trump,” he said in Adelaide.

“Mr Morrison needs to clean up the perception that perhaps the special reception was returned for special favours done.”

He said nobody wanted to see a prime minister with the perception of being a lapdog to an American domestic political agenda.

Mr Downer met with George Papadopoulos, a Trump

I THINK SCOTT MORRISON NEEDS TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND THIS PHONE CALL

ANTHONY ALBANESE

campaign adviser, who told him about Russian information about Hillary Clinton.

“I had a conversation with this guy and I passed on one element of the conversation to the Americans. There’s just nothing more to it,” Mr Downer said. “I know nothing about conversations … Scott Morrison has had with the Americans, including President Trump, about this.”

Greens leader Richard Di Natale said the PM had sacrificed Mr Downer’s reputation to indulge the US President’s bizarre conspiracy theory.

“It’s clear that Scott Morrison’s thrown Alexander under the bus,” he said.