Bob McMullan (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Federal/State Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to raise a series of issues this evening concerning a growing trend in the Howard government’s failure to distinguish between the national interest and the Liberal Party’s interests, between public purposes and private purposes and a trend towards confusing public assets and private assets. We have seen it recently with advertising. We have seen it recently with polling. We have seen it recently with fundraising. We are seeing serious allegations raised now with regard to the overlap between the Liberal Party, the government and what was previously seen as being, quite properly, a legitimate business campaign. We are starting to see the first glimpses of it with regard to taxpayer funded dirt units. In the time available, I want to talk mainly about that.

I also want to raise a question that has just been raised with me by some of my colleagues. It is at this stage only a question because I do not know enough of the facts to be certain. My understanding is that when the maps that the member for Bendigo referred to that we all received—concerning the broadband policy—were issued, at least with regard to the state of New South Wales they were issued on the new electoral boundaries after the next election, instead of the current electoral boundaries. That does seem strange but, of itself, for most people, it is not going to make much difference. For me, for example, the consequences are very minor. It involves a few streets in a few suburbs, but nothing fundamental.

But there is a key question. If that is the case in Queensland—and I am not alleging it is, because I do not know; but it is certainly true in some states—there is a very interesting question: who got the map for Flynn? I would very much like to be reassured that it was not made available to the coalition candidate for Flynn in lieu of a sitting member for that area. I am not making an allegation because I do not know. I want to know. It is a question that needs to be asked.

To refer back to my original point: I am concerned about the emerging evidence—the first glimpses—with regard to the question of taxpayer funded dirt units. We saw an article published in the Bulletin this week, and we heard the sorts of denials we always get—the clever words and evasive denials—so that when you come back six months later they say, ‘You should have read the fine print of what I said.’ It was not an unequivocal denial of the existence of people doing the work described in the article. Now we have stories coming forward about a similar unit in Queensland and names being given to us of people who might be operating it. Because I have not been able to confirm them, I am not going to put them on the public record until I know. But it is a very serious set of allegations.

You would remember, Mr Speaker, the statement of that famous politician Mr Jim Hacker: ‘Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.’ The choice of words that we are getting here is very careful. There are serious questions to be answered by the Attorney-General, by the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources and by the Prime Minister about what they know about the operations of these units and to whom they are reporting. The article alleges that they report to the highest level of government and that there are reports being presented to the Prime Minister.

We have had evidence of their overlap with the ever-burgeoning government members secretariat. It is funded by the taxpayers but not accountable and not subject to the normal scrutiny because the staff work for the Chief Government Whip and not for a minister. Therefore, we do not get the opportunity to ask questions about the operations of those people. We need to know how those particular services overlap and whether these taxpayer funded services are providing support to candidates and government members—including backbench members, not just members of the executive.

Finally, I want to make a comment about another part of this tricky political agenda where we have ministers—in this case, the minister at the table tabling a press release at 4.30 pm—coming in at the last minute, when the House proceedings have almost finished and there is no opportunity for scrutiny of documents. We will have no opportunity to pursue this Australian Electoral Commission media release about the Kirribilli House function hosted by the Prime Minister. It is very important that these things are subject to scrutiny. The Australian people are getting used to the fact that governments that have been in office too long start to think that they, and not the people, own the assets. (Time expired)