Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to Labor introducing a bill to parliament to ban foreign political donations over a year ago, and I also refer to former Liberal trade minister, Andrew Robb, saying this about Mr Huang: 'He's a man of many dimensions … He's a very thoughtful, cerebral fellow … He's a man who thinks about life and how we can improve it. He's a visionary.' Is this one of the reasons the Prime Minister has delayed banning foreign political donations for over a year? Is Mr Robb's glowing praise of Mr Huang why the Liberal Party is still taking his money? (Time expired)

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There's a big difference between Andrew Robb and Senator Dastyari. Andrew Robb has always put Australia first. Senator Dastyari sold Australia out. Listen, let's be quite clear—

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin is warned!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor had a foreign donations bill in the House that was completely and utterly inadequate. It basically only prohibited donations from foreign bank accounts.

Mr Hill interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bruce is warned!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You could drive a truck through it. The legislation that Senator Cormann will introduce in the Senate this week is far more comprehensive, as we have described. So we're getting on with that. We're doing it thoroughly, just as I said we would when I spoke at the beginning of the year at the Press Club.

Getting back to this issue of political influence and Senator Dastyari, the Leader of the Opposition yesterday gave what he sort of claimed was a personal explanation in which he said nothing about what he told Senator Dastyari about ASIO's interest in Mr Huang, if that was the case. He said nothing about why Senator Dastyari was being allowed to remain in the Labor Party. He said nothing about the propriety or otherwise of Senator Dastyari tipping off Mr Huang about the potential for surveillance and then advising him how to take steps to avoid it.

The Leader of the Opposition can run as much as he likes. He can avoid taking questions as much as he likes. But this is now not just about Senator Dastyari; it's about him. It's about his failure of leadership. This is a man who wants to be Prime Minister of Australia. He wants to lead a country that Senator Dastyari has betrayed. And what does he do about it?

Opposition members interjecting—

Labor doesn't like the 'betray' word. All right. How do the people on the Labor side describe someone who goes to a foreign national's house and advises them how to avoid being surveilled by ASIO? What do they think ASIO does? ASIO is there to protect us. ASIO and the Australian people expect our elected representatives to defend ASIO, to support them and assist them. Undermining the work of our security service is not the act of a loyal Australian, and it is not the act an Australian senator should undertake. And every day Senator Dastyari remains in the Labor Party is a day that reminds us how unfit they are, and their leader is, to rule this country.

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on both sides will cease interjecting.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Members on my left. The member for Moreton will leave under 94(a).

The member for Moreton then left the chamber.

Honourable members interjecting—

Other members are about to join the member for Moreton. The member for Indi is waiting patiently, and I thank her for that.