Porter fails pub test: Albo

CHRISTIAN Porter’s claim that he does not know who set up a blind trust to pay for his defamation case has been labelled “absurd and unbelievable” by the federal opposition.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on Wednesday attacked the Industry Minister (pictured) over the blind trust, insisting he must immediately disclose where the funds came from.

He said the excuses given by Mr Porter were “simply untenable”.

“It is just not believable that people have somehow found out about this fund and made contributions to this fund without Christian Porter’s knowledge,” Mr Albanese said. “It doesn't pass the pub test. I know pubs are closed at the moment, but this does not pass the pub test.”

His comments come after Mr Porter revealed a blind trust would contribute to his defamation case against ABC journalist Louise Milligan.

Mr Porter has said he would not declare the donors because he did not know who the benefactors were. “As a potential beneficiary I have no access to information about the conduct and funding of the trust,” he wrote in an update to the Members’ registry of interest.