Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today.

Today in question time we had yet further examples of the arrogance of this government. The arrogance of the Howard government was on full display in question time today. This is a government and a Prime Minister which treats taxpayers’ money as its own. We have seen that in recent months with the millions of dollars in taxpayer funded government advertising that this government is foisting upon the Australian people in its attempt to improve its electoral chances.

In question time today we saw Senator Minchin refuse to indicate whether the figure that has been quoted in public—of $36.5 million on the second wave of the government’s Work Choices advertising campaign—is correct or not. So we look forward to Senator Minchin coming clean with the Australian people as to how much of their money this government intends to spend on Work Choices mark 2. Bear in mind that this is a government that has already spent, or has budgeted to spend, over $1.8 billion—over the life of the government—by polling day. It has already spent, or has budgeted to spend by polling day, over $1.8 billion—and that is what we know about; that does not include what the government has not fessed up to yet, including the $36 million that is now out there in the public arena. It is interesting; Senator Minchin says he cannot confirm it, but somehow somebody has leaked it to the Australian already.

Probably one of the worst examples in recent times of the government’s complete lack of regard for public funds and taxpayers is the use of Kirribilli House for a Liberal fundraiser. The Prime Minister says this was not a Liberal Party fundraiser. The reality is it was, and the Australian people know it. These are the facts. Kirribilli House is a taxpayer funded official residence. It is not a Liberal Party function centre, but that is precisely what this Prime Minister and this government have been using it as. This is Prime Minister Howard acting like he owns the place, using Kirribilli House, a taxpayer funded official residence, for a fundraiser.

We have seen attempts in recent days by the Prime Minister to worm his way out of this embarrassing situation. First he hides behind saying that this was not a fundraiser; it just happened to be a function to which business observers—who have paid thousands of dollars to the Liberal Party of Australia—were invited. Part of what they get for their donation and attendance at the Liberal Party Federal Council is an invite to Kirribilli House for drinks with the Prime Minister. It is very simple: you pay money to the Liberal Party and in return, amongst other things, you get drinks at Kirribilli with the Prime Minister. The Australian people understand what a fundraiser looks like. This was a fundraiser.

What do we have today? Yet another variation on the theme—Senator Minchin trying to wriggle his way out of a difficult situation by saying that the government relied on the advice of Prime Minister and Cabinet that they could use Kirribilli provided the function was not of itself a fundraiser. This is what Prime Minister Howard thinks is public accountability in the late Howard era—as long as an event is not of itself a fundraiser, although it might be part of a fundraising package, it is quite legitimate to use a taxpayer funded official residence for it. The reality is that it is clear for all to see that Kirribilli House was used as part of a fundraising effort for the Liberal Party, and no amount of wriggling by this Prime Minister or his ministers is going to alter that.

In terms of the advice that Senator Minchin says was given by Prime Minister and Cabinet, not only does Senator Minchin rely on some legalistic definition; he also refuses to table the advice. So what we have from this government when confronted with the facts around a Liberal Party fundraiser is a reliance on advice that they refuse to make public and, frankly, a somewhat puerile attempt to demonstrate that this was not a fundraiser by saying, ‘Well, it wasn’t of itself a fundraiser.’ (Time expired)