This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/sep/05/sam-dastyari-donation-row-coalition-steps-up-attack-on-bill-shorten
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Sam Dastyari denies different stance on South China Sea amid donations row | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Sam Dastyari has rejected the prime minister’s characterisation of his donation as “cash for comment”, saying he had always supported Labor’s stance on the South China Sea. | |
| “I support the Labor party position on the South China Sea dispute,” Dastyari said in a message to Guardian Australia. | |
| The Coalition has stepped up its attack on Bill Shorten over Sam Dastyari’s decision to take a political donation from a company with links to the Chinese government as the opposition leader defended his senator. | The Coalition has stepped up its attack on Bill Shorten over Sam Dastyari’s decision to take a political donation from a company with links to the Chinese government as the opposition leader defended his senator. |
| In China for the G20 summit, Malcolm Turnbull attacked the opposition leader for standing up for Dastyari’s “right to take cash” while undermining Australia’s foreign policy. | In China for the G20 summit, Malcolm Turnbull attacked the opposition leader for standing up for Dastyari’s “right to take cash” while undermining Australia’s foreign policy. |
| “I’m here in China standing up for Australia,” Turnbull said. | “I’m here in China standing up for Australia,” Turnbull said. |
| “Back home, Bill Shorten is standing up for Sam Dastyari’s right to take cash from a company associated with a foreign government and then express a view on foreign policy that undermines the Australian government’s foreign policy which had been supported by Mr Shorten himself.” | “Back home, Bill Shorten is standing up for Sam Dastyari’s right to take cash from a company associated with a foreign government and then express a view on foreign policy that undermines the Australian government’s foreign policy which had been supported by Mr Shorten himself.” |
| Turnbull was referring to reports in the Chinese media that Dastyari had taken a different position on the South China Sea which was more favourable to China. | |
| But Dastyari reaffirmed his support for Labor policy and also told the ABC: “I’m not responsible for how the Chinese media reports my comments.” | |
| Shorten said he had expressed his “unhappiness” to Dastyari, who is Labor’s manager for opposition business in the Senate, and who led the Labor charge against banks for corporate malfeasance. | Shorten said he had expressed his “unhappiness” to Dastyari, who is Labor’s manager for opposition business in the Senate, and who led the Labor charge against banks for corporate malfeasance. |
| “I’ve just said to him that he shouldn’t have done it and he said he won’t do it again,” Shorten said. | “I’ve just said to him that he shouldn’t have done it and he said he won’t do it again,” Shorten said. |
| Labor has demanded the Coalition act to ban foreign donations after it was revealed Dastyari received $1670.82 to pay travel expenses – which he declared in accordance with the rules. | Labor has demanded the Coalition act to ban foreign donations after it was revealed Dastyari received $1670.82 to pay travel expenses – which he declared in accordance with the rules. |
| Two Coalition cabinet ministers – trade minister Steve Ciobo and transport minister Darren Chester – have openly considered allowing political donations from individuals on the electoral roll only. It is a position Malcolm Turnbull has consistently held since he was Coalition opposition leader. This would ban donations from corporations – Australian or foreign – as well as unions. | Two Coalition cabinet ministers – trade minister Steve Ciobo and transport minister Darren Chester – have openly considered allowing political donations from individuals on the electoral roll only. It is a position Malcolm Turnbull has consistently held since he was Coalition opposition leader. This would ban donations from corporations – Australian or foreign – as well as unions. |
| The attorney general, George Brandis, has described Dastyari as “compromised by a foreign government”. | The attorney general, George Brandis, has described Dastyari as “compromised by a foreign government”. |
| Brandis described the payments to Dastyari as “intrinsically suspicious” and said if Shorten attempted to “ride out” the Dastyari affair that would demonstrate he was unfit to be leader of the Labor party. | Brandis described the payments to Dastyari as “intrinsically suspicious” and said if Shorten attempted to “ride out” the Dastyari affair that would demonstrate he was unfit to be leader of the Labor party. |
| “These payments are intrinsically suspicious,” Brandis said. “They are not donations, they are the payment of cash to senator Sam Dastyari for unspecified personal matters.” | “These payments are intrinsically suspicious,” Brandis said. “They are not donations, they are the payment of cash to senator Sam Dastyari for unspecified personal matters.” |
| Brandis said there was inevitably a suspicion created that the payments were linked to Dastyari’s statements on China that were at odds with Labor and the Coalition’s policy on the South China Sea. | Brandis said there was inevitably a suspicion created that the payments were linked to Dastyari’s statements on China that were at odds with Labor and the Coalition’s policy on the South China Sea. |
| “What [Shorten] will be saying is he is prepared to have as a member of his alternative government a person who has been compromised by a person who has been compromised by a foreign government,” Brandis said. | “What [Shorten] will be saying is he is prepared to have as a member of his alternative government a person who has been compromised by a person who has been compromised by a foreign government,” Brandis said. |
| Dastyari has been under pressure since the donation was exposed last week. He also declared he was given two bottles of wine as they were worth more than the $300 limit. He subsequently gave them to charity. | Dastyari has been under pressure since the donation was exposed last week. He also declared he was given two bottles of wine as they were worth more than the $300 limit. He subsequently gave them to charity. |
| But the gifts came from Yuhu, the same company that reportedly paid a $40,000 legal bill for Dastyari before he was a senator. At the weekend, it was revealed the wine was Penfolds Grange, worth more than $600 a bottle. All his actions revealed so far are within the rules of the parliamentary entitlements. | But the gifts came from Yuhu, the same company that reportedly paid a $40,000 legal bill for Dastyari before he was a senator. At the weekend, it was revealed the wine was Penfolds Grange, worth more than $600 a bottle. All his actions revealed so far are within the rules of the parliamentary entitlements. |
| Before the election, Labor called for a ban on donations by foreign entities and a boost in public funding. Labor also supports continuous disclosure laws, which would allow the public to see donations soon after they were made. Under current laws donations are revealed at least six months after they were made. | Before the election, Labor called for a ban on donations by foreign entities and a boost in public funding. Labor also supports continuous disclosure laws, which would allow the public to see donations soon after they were made. Under current laws donations are revealed at least six months after they were made. |
| Many comparable countries, including Canada and New Zealand, are among the 114 nations that ban donations to political parties from foreign interests. | Many comparable countries, including Canada and New Zealand, are among the 114 nations that ban donations to political parties from foreign interests. |
| But Labor does not support a ban on donations from corporations and unions – the prime minister’s favoured option – given unions are a large source of Labor’s funding. | But Labor does not support a ban on donations from corporations and unions – the prime minister’s favoured option – given unions are a large source of Labor’s funding. |
| The transport minister, Darren Chester, told Sky News he was “more comfortable” with individuals making donations than corporations or individuals. | The transport minister, Darren Chester, told Sky News he was “more comfortable” with individuals making donations than corporations or individuals. |
| “What’s good for the goose has to be good for the gander, so if you have more rules coming in place in terms of restrictions on business donations then you equally should apply those to union donations,” Chester said. | “What’s good for the goose has to be good for the gander, so if you have more rules coming in place in terms of restrictions on business donations then you equally should apply those to union donations,” Chester said. |
| “I particularly am more comfortable with individuals making donations because it’s a matter of them choosing a political side they support – they support the philosophy or ideology of that party – and we have a participatory democracy where we expect people to join the parties and get involved.” | “I particularly am more comfortable with individuals making donations because it’s a matter of them choosing a political side they support – they support the philosophy or ideology of that party – and we have a participatory democracy where we expect people to join the parties and get involved.” |
| Chester said the joint standing committee on electoral matters, which reviews election funding and operations, would make recommendations in line with parliamentary practice. | Chester said the joint standing committee on electoral matters, which reviews election funding and operations, would make recommendations in line with parliamentary practice. |
| “The alternative of full public funding of election campaigns is one that’s been looked at in the past and quite frankly the Australian people didn’t like it.” | “The alternative of full public funding of election campaigns is one that’s been looked at in the past and quite frankly the Australian people didn’t like it.” |
| The trade minister, Steve Ciobo, told Fairfax there was some merit in allowing donations only from individuals. | The trade minister, Steve Ciobo, told Fairfax there was some merit in allowing donations only from individuals. |
| “There might be some merit in only allowing donations from individuals, and not from unions, organisations, corporations and sometimes foreign entities,” Ciobo said. | “There might be some merit in only allowing donations from individuals, and not from unions, organisations, corporations and sometimes foreign entities,” Ciobo said. |
| Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly said he liked the idea that only individuals on the electoral roll should have the right to make political donations. | Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly said he liked the idea that only individuals on the electoral roll should have the right to make political donations. |
| “I like the idea that if you don’t have a vote ... at the election, that you don’t actually get a chance to donate,” Kelly said. | “I like the idea that if you don’t have a vote ... at the election, that you don’t actually get a chance to donate,” Kelly said. |
| “As time goes on and we see the potential, as we have seen with Sam Dastyari where it apparently appears that he has taken a position that is against our national interest, that’s actually against the international interests of all western democracies and gone and sided with the Chinese communists, it just seems to be bizarre that at the same time he is taking donations from entities associated with them.” | “As time goes on and we see the potential, as we have seen with Sam Dastyari where it apparently appears that he has taken a position that is against our national interest, that’s actually against the international interests of all western democracies and gone and sided with the Chinese communists, it just seems to be bizarre that at the same time he is taking donations from entities associated with them.” |