Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) extensive media reporting the Assistant Treasurer was involved in wide-scale branch stacking;

(b) clear evidence the Assistant Treasurer saw and approved plans for electorate staff to engage in branch stacking;

(c) reports the Assistant Treasurer used taxpayer money to pay one of his best friends to produce party political material soliciting donations for the Liberal Party;

(d) the Assistant Treasurer's conduct breaches both paragraph 4.1 of the Prime Minister's Ministerial Standards and paragraph 2 of the Special Minister of State's Determination;

(e) the Prime Minister has failed to take any action against the Assistant Treasurer, who is doing too much branch-stacking and not enough HomeBuilding; and

(f) in the middle of the first recession in three decades, the Assistant Treasurer should be focussed on helping the Australian people and doing his job, not helping himself; and

(2) calls on the Assistant Treasurer to attend this House and make a statement for a period not exceeding 30 minutes explaining his actions to the Australian people.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Blaxland from moving the following motion immediately—

That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) extensive media reporting the Assistant Treasurer was involved in wide-scale branch stacking;

(b) clear evidence the Assistant Treasurer saw and approved plans for electorate staff to engage in branch stacking;

(c) reports the Assistant Treasurer used taxpayer money to pay one of his best friends to produce party political material soliciting donations for the Liberal Party;

(d) the Assistant Treasurer's conduct breaches both paragraph 4.1 of the Prime Minister's Ministerial Standards and paragraph 2 of the Special Minister of State's Determination;

(e) the Prime Minister has failed to take any action against the Assistant Treasurer, who is doing too much branch-stacking and not enough HomeBuilding; and

(f) in the middle of the first recession in three decades, the Assistant Treasurer should be focussed on helping the Australian people and doing his job, not helping himself; and

(2) calls on the Assistant Treasurer to attend this House and make a statement for a period not exceeding 30 minutes explaining his actions to the Australian people.

He has a perfect opportunity to see if his defence stacks up—

See this speech in context