John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This was at 1.30 pm. He was red-faced, twitching and had that horrible, hollowed out Halloween-pumpkin-like smile he gets on his face when he is under pressure. He almost uttered the whole sentence: ‘I will decide who will come to Kirribilli House and the circumstances in which they come.’ He nearly got the whole sentence out until he realised, ‘Uh-oh, we have a problem.’ He did not quite say it, but he meant it. He will decide who comes, but, I tell you what, he will not pay for it—the taxpayers will be stuck for the bill every single time. And he will not say who goes to these functions; he will not give you a list of attendees. He will not give the cost to the taxpayers. There is no accountability, no transparency, no honesty and no decency in process in relation to this.

Mr Howard in question time solved at least one thing: we know it is a fundraiser. In question time on Tuesday, Mr Howard said, ‘It was not a fundraiser, and you know that.’ Today, Mr Howard was asked:

The nub of this is it is fundraising, isn’t it?’

Let me quote Mr Howard’s answer—I do not often do it, but I am going to enjoy it now. Mr Howard said:

Yes, but, well, it is that and, well, sometimes a gathering of the type that I have alluded to, you know, might in a remote way be associated with fundraising.

Thank you, Mr Howard, for that clear explanation—that clear admission that you are sticking the taxpayers for the bill for these functions at Kirribilli House. The Liberal Party is not paying; Mr Howard is not paying; the taxpayers are paying. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.