Scott Morrison is scolded by Leigh Sales in a VERY fiery exchange on Australia’s big issues

Scott Morrison has been accused of dodging tough questions during a ‘trainwreck’ interview with ABC journalist Leigh Sales.

The 7.30 host scolded the prime minister while questioning him on topics including the coronavirus, emissions targets and the economy in Monday night’s episode. 

Sales began the interview by asking whether a combination of the coronavirus and bushfires could slide Australia into recession.

‘We know that this global health crisis around the coronavirus is going to have very significant and very real economic impacts which we are already feeling here in Australia and is being felt in many other countries, in most I should say, all around the world. So we will see how that plays out,’ Mr Morrison answered.

Sales pushed further and questioned why the travel ban hasn’t been extended beyond China and Iran as the coronavirus crisis deepens across Australia and the world. 

The prime minister responded by saying the government has been following medical advice by Chief Medical Officer Doctor Brendan Murphy, but nothing is off the table.

‘The health advice at this moment has not suggested going beyond the existing travel bans we have. That said today, particularly with the information we are seeing coming out of Korea and out of Italy, then we are look again at those measures right now,’ Mr Morrison said.

The 7.30 host continued her grilling by questioning the prime minister’s handling of the economy.

‘How is it possible that you don’t have an economic centrepiece beyond a slogan for jobs and growth?,’ she asked.

‘Well, I completely reject that. Last year alone we brought forward $4.2 billion worth of our program on infrastructure to address the very issues that you have just raised,’ Mr Morrison responded. 

Sales wasn’t satisfied with the prime minister’s answer. 

‘Let me run through some of it with you – you’ve done nothing on IR or superannuation, nothing on GST reform, nothing big on company tax reform, no target for emissions reduction beyond 2030, business leaders feel there is no agenda,’ she said.  

Mr Morrison became visibly agitated when Sales compared Australia’s emission reductions to those of the United Kingdom.

‘Well, I would make the point about the UK economy is it is quite different to the Australian economy. You have got to have plans that relate to your own country. The UK also has nuclear power and they also have a big extension cord which plugs into the nuclear power in France,’ he said.  

Sales rebutted: ‘A plan without a target is meaningless because you don’t know where you are going.’

Mr Morrison told the host a plan was in place to look at ‘future technologies’, but she questioned how that was possible when they are yet to be invented.

The pair continued to talk over each other as Sales put it to Mr Morrison voters were losing trust in him. 

Sales grilled the prime minister on matters of secrecy, including withholding information on the sports grant scandal, trying to hide his holiday to Hawaii in December and whether Hillsong pastor Brian Houston was invited to a dinner with US President Donald Trump. 

‘Back to the trust question. You want Australians to trust you. Does this excessive secrecy help that?,’ she asked.

‘I don’t accept the assertion you are putting to me. You are making accusations – like the Labor Party does,’ he replied. 

‘I just gave three examples. I just gave three concrete examples,’ Sales fired back.

‘If you want to join in on the accusations that the Labor leader makes in parliament every day,’ Mr Morrison said.

‘I am not interested in what the Labor leader has to say,’ Sales said.  

Viewers took to social media to praise Sales on her demeanour and tough questioning, while others said Mr Morrison may not be keen to return to 7.30 after the ‘trainwreck’ interview that ‘was difficult to watch’.  

‘Bravo to the independent public broadcaster. Leigh Sales is a woman of substance and national treasure,’ one user wrote. 

‘Finally Leigh Sales burns Scott Morrison big time and great work it is,’ another said.

A third tweeted: ‘It’s been good to see Leigh Sales holding Angus Taylor and the PM to account during successive interviews the last two nights. Their refusal to answer simple questions and constant repetition of LNP talking points made them look shifty and completely implausible.’  

‘Leigh Sales is sticking it to Scott Morrison. What a trainwreck. [Mr Morrisson] is getting quite testy and making a complete fool of himself. Guess he won’t be back on 7.30 for a while,’ yet another viewer said.