House debates

Wednesday, 19 March 2008

Questions without Notice

Beijing AustChina Technology

2:04 pm

Photo of Andrew RobbAndrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that he has met Mr Ian Tang, Chief Executive Officer of Beijing AustChina Technology in the last few months? Prime Minister, what was discussed in those meetings?

Photo of Kevin RuddKevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

As I said in a press conference earlier today, I met Mr Tang some time in November or December for 10 or 15 minutes for a cup of coffee in Brisbane. The nature of the conversation was: ‘Hello, how are you? I haven’t seen you for a bit.’

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting

Photo of Kevin RuddKevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

It is true; I would be very interested, given the level of interest on the part of those opposite and given that this company, which the opposition now has great concerns about, has contributed not $100,000—I misled the House the other day!—but $150,000 to the National Party. If there is a concern about this, what discussions occurred between this company and the former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, other senior National Party ministers or others? What was the content of those discussions? If there is a concern about the nature of this company or its relationship with members of parliament, I would be very interested to know from the shadow foreign minister whether there are concerns in that regard given the nature of the financial support given to the National Party by the company concerned. All these facts, for my part and the part of my colleagues, have been declared fully on the pecuniary interests register.