In his own defence and stance against an inquiry when fronting the media on Wednesday, Mr Porter argued standing aside or allowing the inquiry would set a dangerous precedent for the broader community.

It does not. That is simply not true. The key difference here, never to be forgotten, is the Attorney-General is a publicly elected official of high office. He is ultimately answerable to the Australian people.

An inquiry into this matter does not set a dangerous precedent for others, it simply (hopefully) clears up a matter one way or another of great concern regarding the government of this country.

The Prime Minister's refusal and dismissal of an inquiry into the alleged rape allegations will only fan the flames.

This matter will not simply go away, as much as the Morrison government may wish it to.

Scott Morrison's deference to the police on the matter is convenient and typical.

The Prime Minister says he has "no alternative" but to follow the rule of law.

"The police are the only body that are authorised to deal with such serious criminal matters," the PM said on Thursday.

"Yesterday you saw an emphatic denial from Christian Porter ... in the glare of the nation's media and the glare of the Australian public.

"He's entitled to the presumption of innocence, as any citizen in this country is entitled."

It has all the hallmarks of the infamous "I don't hold the hose mate".

The clear alternative for the Morrison government is to allow an independent inquiry into the allegations.

It might not be the most comfortable alternative, but it is the alternative that won't go away. It might not be the perfect answer, but it is an answer. The Prime Minister can go on saying he doesn't hold the hose all he likes but this fire will continue to burn until he does something about it.