Kimberley Kitching Victoria, Australian Labor Party
2:56 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. I refer to the minister who, when asked in question time last week about media reports that Mr Turnbull dined with a Chinese political donor and wealthy businessman, Mr Liu, four days after one of Mr Liu's companies donated $40,000 to the Queensland Liberal National Party, said, 'I am not familiar with the details of those reports.' Given that the minister has had a week to familiarise himself, I ask the minister: who invited Mr Liu, and on what basis was the invitation to Mr Liu issued?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I don't know, Senator.
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
Senator Kitching, a supplementary question.
Kimberley Kitching Victoria, Australian Labor Party
2:57 pm
On how many occasions has the Prime Minister met or dined with foreign donors?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I don't know, Senator.
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
Senator Kitching, a final supplementary question.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Senators:
Opposition senators interjecting—
Kimberley Kitching Victoria, Australian Labor Party
Perhaps, Mr President, through you, you could ask the—
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
Order on my left! I can't hear you at the moment, Senator Kitching, due to your colleagues.
Kimberley Kitching Victoria, Australian Labor Party
Perhaps through you, Mr President, Senator Brandis might take some of these questions on notice, given he seems very ill informed.
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
Senator Kitching, as you know, I cannot direct the minister how to answer a question. The minister has been relevant to your question. I will call you for your final supplementary question.
Kimberley Kitching Victoria, Australian Labor Party
Even former Abbott government defence minister David Johnston says, 'I think foreign donations are a serious problem and potentially undermining of our natural interests.' Why then is the Prime Minister continuing to dine with wealthy foreign businessmen in order to procure donations?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
2:58 pm
The fact is that the sentiment that former Senator Johnston has expressed, or at least that you have attributed to him, is the same view that I have expressed, earlier in question time, and the same view the Prime Minister himself holds, which is why the government has moved to ban foreign donations and ban the introduction of foreign money into the Australian political process, not just through donations to political parties but through donations to third-party political activists as well, something that I thought the Labor Party was meant to welcome, but apparently—it seems from your question, Senator Kitching—that is not so. The fact is that hitherto it has not been against the law of Australia to receive donations from foreigners, as long as those donations have been disclosed. As I have said before, I am very confident that all donations received by the Liberal Party or the National Party have been disclosed.