In opposition Tony Abbott said misleading the House was the greatest crime a Member of Parliament could commit.
Yet now he is in Government, and his own ministers have done just that over the Man Monis letter, Mr Abbott is taking an entirely different approach to Parliamentary and public accountability.
Mr Abbotts words in 2009 were:
Let us be absolutely upfront about this. The greatest political crime that a member of this parliament can commit is to mislead this House. A member of parliament can maladminister a portfolio. A member of parliament can squander billions of dollars. A member of parliament can run naked down George Street and survive. But a member of parliament cannot mislead this place and survive. Any member of parliament who misleads this House must resign, if he or she has any integrity, or must be forced to resign, if the party leader has any integrity.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - 22 JUNE 2009
Mr Abbott must fully explain the actions of his ministers and staff.
Documents provided to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs committee show a deliberate cover-up by his staff and the Attorney-Generals Office.
These documents show that the Attorney-Generals Department knew in February that the Monis letter had not been provided to the Martin Place Siege Review.
The Prime Ministers Office, the Attorney-General and the Foreign Ministers Office were aware for a full Parliamentary week that Ms Bishop had misled the Parliament and chose to do nothing.
Wilfully misleading the Parliament is a serious offence. Ministers have resigned over misleading the Parliament in the past.
Mr Abbott needs to demonstrate his respect for the Parliament and explain why his ministers took a full sitting week to correct the record, when they knew for days the information they had provided was incorrect.
The Prime Minister needs to show some integrity and come clean on the cover up.