House debates Questions without Notice
Political Donations
Phillip Barresi Deakin, Liberal Party
2:57 pm
My question is addressed to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Would the minister update the House on political donations made by registered organisations under the Workplace Relations Act? How has this influenced the democratic process?
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
I thank the member for Deakin for his question and his interest in this subject. Yesterday in this place the Leader of the Opposition said that the Labor Party had ‘received the odd contribution from the trade union movement’. Of course, since 1996 that ‘odd contribution’ has added up to almost $50 million. Indeed, in Victoria that ‘odd contribution’ from the unions has amounted to some $11.6 million.
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
Mr Swan interjecting
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
This is very interesting in the context—
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
Mr Swan interjecting
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
of these three sitting frontbenchers who are being challenged for preselection by three more union officials. The reality is that the power basis of these three challengers is entirely predicated upon branch stacking, union links, slush funds and sleazy deals between them, which freeze out ordinary members of the Australian Labor Party.
We had confirmation of this this morning when the member for Maribyrnong said on radio 3AW in Melbourne that it was almost impossible for him to win preselection, thanks to a series of what he calls ‘sleazy internal deals’—confirmation from the member for Maribyrnong. We have had luminaries of the Labor Party speak out about this: people like John Cain, a former Premier of Victoria; Barry Jones, a former minister in a Labor government and a former president of the ALP; and, of course, John Button, a very distinguished former senator for the ALP. Mr Button said this recently:
... Simon Crean when he was leader took the step of trying to implement a very small number of the recommendations which were advocated by Bob Hawke and Neville Wran in their proposals to reform and make more democratic the Labor Party in Australia. He took that step.
But John Button went on to say:
Now, that doesn’t suit certain people because they’re not interested in democratic parties. They’re more interested in manipulating positions of power and branch stacking and things like that, which produce that power.
We saw this in a report in the Weekend Australian newspaper on 26 November last year, which reported on the fact that Bill Shorten and Martin Pakula had met ‘in a secret location in northern Melbourne’. The report went on to say:
A swag of state seats as well as seven federal lower house seats and two positions on the Senate ticket were bought and sold that day.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order and it goes to relevance. How is this possibly relevant?
Lindsay Tanner Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Tell us about the Wentworth preselection; that’s a good story.
Lindsay Tanner Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Mr Tanner interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Melbourne is warned! In calling the minister, I ask him to come back to the question.
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
Yes, Mr Speaker; the question was about donations to registered organisations and their influence on the democratic process. What we see here is something that I would say the vast majority of Australians would find appalling, disgusting and unacceptable, and that is that the preselections of members of this place are bought and sold in a sleazy, secret deal by members of the trade union movement. That is the reality. And who stood by and has done absolutely nothing? Who was so weak that he would not lift his finger in relation to this? None other than the Leader of the Opposition, so weak that he stands by and allows this undemocratic process to continue. Of course, the other party to this—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing
Mr Pyne interjecting
Arch Bevis Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security
How’s Julian McGauran’s preselection shaping up?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. You had asked the minister to come back to the question. He is now defying your ruling. I ask him to come back to the question.
David Hawker Speaker
In response to the member for Grayndler, I have been listening carefully. The minister is linking his answer to the question.
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
One of the other officials of a registered organisation who has been involved in this, the fourth preselection aspirant, Mr David Feeney, who is described as an adept branch stacker in Victoria and established Transport 2020, a slush fund in Victoria—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. This is not relevant to the question that was asked, and I ask you to draw him back to the question.
David Hawker Speaker
I thank the member for Grayndler. I call the minister, and I ask him to conclude his answer.
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
Mr Speaker, I am coming to the conclusion. This is another man who has been rewarded for his branch stacking by being made the assistant national secretary and director of the South Australian campaign.
David Hawker Speaker
The minister will resume his seat. Member for Grayndler, is this a further point of order?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
He is just ignoring your rulings.
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. I have called the minister to conclude his answer. He has indicated that he is concluding his answer. The minister has the call.
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
In conclusion, I table a compendium of activities of this branch stacking which has been going on in the Victorian ALP, involving registered organisations, with many of the players here, including those who are challenging the member for Hotham, the member for Corio and the member for Maribyrnong. In addition to that, I produce for the interest of honourable members a flow chart which shows the interlocking relationships between these various players. This is sleazy, secret branch stacking—sleazy, secret buying and selling of places in the House of Representatives.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing
Mr Pyne interjecting
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Beazley interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition does not have the call.