Bill Shorten has talked down the prospect of a future Labor government under his leadership setting up a royal commission which targets the Liberals.
Opposition frontbencher Kim Carr said on Friday a future Labor government would be under “incredible pressure” to respond to the precedent Tony Abbott has set in pursuing two royal commissions into Labor-related issues.
“This government is not acting in the national interests, is not acting in the interest of Australians and is seeking to use state power in a way we haven’t seen in this country and we do, of course, see in other countries,” Labor’s industry spokesperson said.
“This has all the hallmarks of a totalitarian regime, trying to put its political opponents on trial,” he said.
On Wednesday and Thursday Shorten gave extended evidence at the royal commission into trade union corruption. A commission set up by the Abbott government has also investigated the former Rudd government home insulation scheme.
“If I and Labor were privileged to form a government, we would elevate the standards,” Shorten told reporters in Melbourne on Friday.
Shorten said Carr was “reflecting the concern of many Australians that Mr Abbott is debasing democracy”.
