ROBODEBT SCANDAL:

Former prime minister Scott Morrison will be recalled to front the Royal Commission into the robodebt scandal after his evidence this week was declared to be “unsatisfactory”.

A Royal Commission spokesperson said Mr Morrison had failed to give direct answers to almost all questions posed to him during his appearance.

“A study of the transcripts shows the only question Mr Morrison answered honestly was right at the start of his evidence when he was asked his name,” the spokesperson said. “Otherwise all of his other responses were definitely unsatisfactory.

“For example, when he was quizzed about his knowledge of the Robodebt scheme in its early days when he was Minister for  Social Services, Mr Morrison responded by starting to build a prefabricated chicken coop in the witness box.

“The Royal Commissioner Catherine Holmes, was clearly frustrated when Mr Morrison failed to properly answer follow-up questions but instead ignited an arc welder and began fabricating some sort of metal structure – initially without even lowering his protective visor.

“I can also advise that she was definitely not impressed when Mr Morrison failed to answer other questions but instead began washing her hair.” (main picture)

The spokesperson said Mr Morrison appeared not to comprehend the seriousness of the Commission’s work.

“If he had appreciated the gravity of the issues involved he would not have reacted to a question about the suicides that followed implementation of the scheme by playing the ukulele,” the spokesperson said.

“Nor would he have responded to several questions by giving both thumbs up and declaring ‘How good is that question?’, before grinning inanely but remaining otherwise silent for up to a minute.

“I suspect the clincher, as far as recalling him as a witness for further questioning, came when he deliberately crash tackled counsel assisting the Commission rather than reply to a short series of questions he should reasonably be expected to answer.” (below)

The Commission spokesperson said no date had been set for Mr Morrison’s reappearance.