TASMANIAN Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has come out swinging over allegations his former law firm has a multimillion-dollar connection with an inquiry into trade unions. Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon on Sunday told the ABC’s Insiders program the Tasmanian firm, Abetz Curtis Hobart Lawyers, was directly involved with the royal commission. Mr Fitzgibbon said the payment was part of an $80 million ‘‘smear campaign’’ designed to undermine unions and attack the government’s political opponents. ‘‘We now know that some $3.3 million of that has gone to the guy asking the questions,’’ he told Insiders’ host, Barry Cassidy. ‘‘And some $17 million has gone to the former legal firm of Senator Eric Abetz.’’ However, he quickly took to social media to correct his statement after the program had aired. ‘‘Correction; it’s George Brandis’s former law firm getting rich on the royal commission not Senator Abetz,’’ Mr Fitzgibbon tweeted. But Senator Abetz was left fuming by his comments, saying they were simply untrue and grossly misleading. ‘‘This is just another example of Labor’s ugly smear campaign, which is designed to divert attention from the litany of corruption and scandal being exposed by the royal commission,’’ Senator Abetz said.
TASMANIAN Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has come out swinging over allegations his former law firm has a multimillion-dollar connection with an inquiry into trade unions.
Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon on Sunday told the ABC’s Insiders program the Tasmanian firm, Abetz Curtis Hobart Lawyers, was directly involved with the royal commission.
Mr Fitzgibbon said the payment was part of an $80 million ‘‘smear campaign’’ designed to undermine unions and attack the government’s political opponents.
‘‘We now know that some $3.3 million of that has gone to the guy asking the questions,’’ he told Insiders’ host, Barry Cassidy.
‘‘And some $17 million has gone to the former legal firm of Senator Eric Abetz.’’
However, he quickly took to social media to correct his statement after the program had aired.
‘‘Correction; it’s George Brandis’s former law firm getting rich on the royal commission not Senator Abetz,’’ Mr Fitzgibbon tweeted.
But Senator Abetz was left fuming by his comments, saying they were simply untrue and grossly misleading.
‘‘This is just another example of Labor’s ugly smear campaign, which is designed to divert attention from the litany of corruption and scandal being exposed by the royal commission,’’ Senator Abetz said.
