James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Employment, Senator Cash. Is the minister aware of any recent reports about conflicts of interest relating to donations from registered organisations to activist groups?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Paterson for the question. Yes, I am. It was revealed over the weekend that a significant donation was made in 2005 from the Australian Workers' Union to GetUp!. This was when the current Leader of the Opposition, Mr Shorten, was the national secretary of the AWU. Based on the reports, Mr Shorten's union donated the sum of $100,000 to GetUp!. In addition to being the national secretary of the AWU at this time, Mr Shorten was also a board member of GetUp!, a supposedly independent organisation.

Despite being asked questions about these serious matters, and the potential conflict of interest, Mr Shorten has today failed to provide answers and has merely referred the matter to GetUp!. Unsurprisingly, we're still waiting for answers. But there are very serious questions that Mr Shorten has to respond to. He needs to provide evidence that this $100,000 donation was within the AWU's rules. AWU rule number 57 states:

A loan, grant or donation, must not be made by the Union or any Branch as the case may be, unless the National Executive of the Union has:

(a) Satisfied itself:

(i) that the making of the loan, grant or donation, would be in accordance with the Rules of the Union; and

…   …   …

(b)   Approved the making of the loan, grant or donation.

So the question for Mr Shorten is a simple one: was this $100,000 donation of AWU members' money validly authorised under the rules?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a supplementary question.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why is it important for the persons who authorised this donation to publicly account for their role in the decision-making process?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The $100,000 donation made to GetUp! is provided by the members of the AWU, hardworking Australians whose union should act in their best interests, not in its own. It is unconscionable that their membership fees could be spent on boosting Mr Shorten's political profile rather than fighting for their best interests. As senators will recall, HSU members' money was spent by Craig Thomson, as national secretary of that union, on his own political campaign, without authorisation of the union's rules. Again, Mr Shorten needs to answer the questions: was the $100,000 donation from the AWU authorised under the union rules, and did Mr Shorten declare a conflict of interest?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a final supplementary question.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the minister aware of any similar reports relating to payments from registered organisations?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I am. The donation is not an isolated incident. When Mr Shorten was the AWU national secretary, the AWU made another generous donation, to the Labor campaign for the federal seat of Maribyrnong, where, as it happens, Mr Shorten was the Labor candidate. The donation was made on 14 September 2007.

Mr Shorten has again failed to answer similar questions in relation to this donation. A very simple question: was it made in accordance with the AWU's rules? The rules are clear on what constitutes valid authorisation. Again, Mr Shorten needs to come clean and advise the Australian people whether the rules were complied with in both of these instances and whether in both instances he declared his conflicts of interest.