Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on why it is important for all parliamentarians to act in Australia's interests, particularly on matters of foreign policy and national security?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on both sides! The member for Isaacs is now warned. The Foreign Minister has the call.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When members and senators are elected to this place they swear an oath pledging their allegiance to Australia and the Australian people. As representatives of Australia and our people, it is our solemn duty to act in the interest of Australia and the Australian people at all times, whether at home or abroad. We should never advocate the interest of a foreign government at the expense of Australia and its people. Senator Sam Dastyari has engaged in a pattern of conduct that has promoted his self-interest, and the interest of a foreign government, at the expense of the Australian government in both foreign policy and national security terms.

It's been revealed today that Senator Dastyari has been caught out yet again parroting the specific lines of a foreign government. According to an article in the Fairfax press, in 2015 Senator Dastyari gave an interview to China Economic Net. He adopted specific terms that, according to two academic Chinese experts, were provided 'from people well-versed in the political ideology of the Chinese Communist Party'. Also, 'He must be speaking from dot points drafted by someone with close links to the Chinese communist party or government', and further, 'If Senator Dastyari used that term, then he is toeing the Chinese Communist Party line.'

Then we had the infamous press conference where Senator Dastyari, in the Commonwealth parliamentary offices in Sydney, stood in front of an Australian flag at a podium with the Australian coat of arms, inviting his Chinese benefactor to stand alongside when he adopted the lines and the stance of the Chinese government on the issue of the South China Sea, putting him directly at odds with the foreign policy articulated by Labor's shadow defence minister the day before, and directly at odds with the Australian government's longstanding policy.

To top it all off, Senator Dastyari then engaged in countersurveillance conduct by warning his Chinese benefactor and intending to compromise— (Time expired)