Christian Porter Quits Cabinet After Refusing To Disclose Anonymous Donor

Calls continue for former attorney-general Christian Porter to quit politics all together after his resignation from the Federal Government's frontbench at the weekend.

The acknowledgement that a blind trust paid part of his legal bills in the recent defamation case against the national public broadcaster, has set tails wagging.

Yet despite Mr Porter’s partial disclosure, Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has thrown his support behind the former minister’s fate, believing it looks promising in the hands of his electorate.

"Mr Porter has not done anything illegal, if he had the police would be here," Mr Joyce said.

"So now he is no longer a minister. Now the contract is from his employer, which is the electorate of Pearce"

“I bet you that his electorate won’t resign from him though, he is an incredibly astute politician, incredibly capable, he will be back in his electorate and working the part and parcel of what is so essential, the life of a backbencher,” he said.

Mr Porter resigned as Minister for Industry, Science and Technology on Sunday after revealing some of his legal fees were funded by an anonymous donor.

"After discussing the matter with the Prime Minister, I accept that any uncertainty on this point provides a very unhelpful distraction for the Government in its work," Porter said in his written statement.

"I am not prepared to seek to break the confidentiality of those people who contributed to my legal fees under what are well-known and regular legal structures, including the confidentiality attached to the Trust contribution."

By handing in his resignation, the Prime Minister said Porter had upheld the ministerial standards.

Meanwhile, Labor have called for the former cabinet minister, to either disclose his anonymous donor, repay the defamation legal costs, or quit his WA seat.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said too many questions remain unanswered.

"How much money was put into this fund? How did people know to put money into this fund? Who was it who contributed funds for Christian Porters legal case? All of these questions remain outstanding"

- MP Anthony Albanese

Meanwhile, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor has taken over Mr Porter's portfolio in the interim to the Morrison government securing his replacement.

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