Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to Senator Minchin, representing the Prime Minister. I refer the minister to answers he provided yesterday and to the Prime Minister’s press conference held a few minutes ago, which failed to clarify who paid the full cost of the Liberal Party fundraiser at Kirribilli House. Can the minister assure the Senate that no part of the bill for food and beverages consumed was paid for by government or taxpayer sources? Was the cost paid by the Liberal Party of $5,186.69 the total cost of food and drink supplied for the event? If not, how was the Liberal Party’s share calculated?

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can only repeat what I have said over the last two days in this place. Senator Evans obviously watched the Prime Minister’s press conference, as I did. As the Prime Minister confirmed then, the Liberal Party was billed for and did pay the full cost for the function attended by all 225 guests. I suspect that what Senator Evans is referring to is a story today by Samantha Maiden in the Australian which had a suggestion—I think the words were, ‘It appears that’—

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Sterle.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She said in her article:

… it appears the Liberal Party did not pay for all the attendees, with the Prime Minister confirming reimbursement was sought for ‘additional’ guests.

That is not correct. As the Prime Minister just said in his press conference, the function was attended by 225 people, including the Liberal Party’s federal council delegates, a range of business observers and some others who were neither council delegates nor business observers. Of course, the Prime Minister is entitled to invite people to his official residence. There was a total of 225 people there in a variety of capacities. The total cost of food, beverages and casual staff et cetera for hosting those people—all 225—was $5,186.69. The Liberal Party paid that amount in full.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for his answer. I refer him, though, to the Prime Minister’s comments that there was some sort of calculation of an equivalent rate when he spoke at his press conference today. I take the minister’s advice that the total cost for the whole event and for all guests was paid by the Liberal Party. I ask him: how did he manage to organise such a great deal such that the total cost of alcohol was $6.50 a head? Were you only providing a VB and a pie or in fact did you get a particularly spectacular rate? It seems to any Australian who looks at it that this is a curiously inexpensive function—entertaining 225 people at such a low cost.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans talks about an equivalent rate. The Prime Minister, in response to assertions that the actual amount paid for the actual cost of the function at Kirribilli was too low, made the point that he had looked at costs of functions at Kirribilli and the Lodge of a similar kind and noted to himself that the costs were broadly similar on a per capita basis to the cost of the function held at Kirribilli. I was not there, so I do not know whether they were drinking cask wine or what the quality of the beverages consumed was. It might have been cask wine—I do not know. Nevertheless, they are the actual costs. People have made comparisons on this basis, but, when you compare it to having a function at a hotel or something like that, obviously the hotel puts in a profit margin and an imputed rent for the premises and the Prime Minister has made it abundantly clear that there is no imputed rent for the premises because it is his official residence. (Time expired)