Tony Abbott says he will pay for table damaged during his farewell party
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Version 0 of 1. Tony Abbott says he will pay for a marble table that was damaged during a party he hosted on the night he was dumped as prime minister. Revellers partied so hard as they farewelled Abbott they allegedly broke the table as they danced on it in Parliament House on the night of 14 September. On Monday evening Abbott issued a statement taking responsibility for the smashed table and promising to cover the cost. “On the night of the leadership change I hosted drinks in the cabinet anteroom for staff and colleagues,” he said. “During this event a coffee table was damaged. “I have asked my office to have the Department of Parliamentary Services invoice me for the value of the table. It was my event so I take responsibility for it.” Related: Smashed marble table inquiry sweeps up shards of Tony Abbott's farewell do A Senate estimates hearing was told on Monday cleaners had found broken pieces of the $590 table – an original piece of furniture bought for the parliament in 1988 – on 15 September and had alerted the office in charge of asset management. “Quite a party,” the Labor senator Penny Wong said. The Department of Parliamentary Services assistant secretary, John Ryan, said staff had not been allowed access to the anteroom until 18 September despite a number of requests. While staff had been allowed to remove the table for repairs, Ryan said, they had not been allowed to make a further inspection of other possible damage. Wong read out an email from Ryan to Department of Parliamentary Services first assistant secretary, Rob Barnes, in which Ryan suggested the table had been damaged by “persons standing or dancing up on it”. “More pieces have since been seen in the ministerial offices,” the email read. While one initial quote for repairs to the table put the cost at $1,000, other quotes were much higher. Ryan said no investigation had been undertaken into how the damage took place. |