Senate debates Questions without Notice
Donations to Political Parties
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
2:12 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. In announcing his government's very long overdue reforms to political donations, the Prime Minister said that they would 'strengthen our democracy'. I refer to the minister, who, when asked about the Prime Minister's still undisclosed $1.75 million donation to the Liberal Party just prior to the last election, said, 'I am sure the Prime Minister is compliant with all his obligations.' Can the minister confirm on what date the declaration was made?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
2:13 pm
I don't know the precise date, Senator Farrell, but I can assure you, as I assured you earlier in the week, that the Prime Minister has made, or will make, his disclosures consistently with his obligations and in a timely fashion, as required by the Commonwealth Electoral Act.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Senators:
Honourable senators interjecting—
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
Order! I will call Senator Farrell when there's order. Senator Farrell, on a supplementary question.
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Labor, the Greens and the members of the crossbench have all introduced legislation to ban foreign donations. Why is the government the last to act?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
2:14 pm
Senator Farrell, the government has introduced, as you acknowledge, legislation to ban foreign donations. It is the government's legislation that will be submitted for the deliberation of this chamber next year, and I trust it will pass with the support of the Labor Party. Later this afternoon after Senator Cormann introduces the foreign donations bill to the Senate, I will be referring it, along with the foreign interference laws to be introduced by the Prime Minister in the other place, to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, which will review those laws over the summer so that it can come back with its recommendations early next year. As has been the case with other national security legislation over the last several years, we will be guided by and we will pay close and respectful heed to the views of the PJCIS. At that point, the Labor Party can make a constructive contribution.
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
A final supplementary question, Senator Farrell?
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
2:15 pm
Given the Prime Minister, through his merchant bank, Turnbull & Partners, has made his millions in locations such as Siberia, the Solomon Islands—
Jacinta Collins Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
Siberia?
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Yes, Siberia—and the Cayman Islands, does this qualify the Prime Minister's donations as a foreign donation?
Honourable senators interjecting—
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
Order! I will call you when there is some order, Senator Brandis. Order, Senator Carr, Senator Cameron, Senator Cormann and Senator Fifield.
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
2:16 pm
Honestly, Senator Farrell, I'm disappointed with you, too. I mean, seriously! You disappoint me, Senator Farrell. What an asinine question. Because an Australian citizen, the Prime Minister of Australia—who, by the way, traces his lineage back to the First Fleet—has been a successful businessman and has earned money both in Australia and in various foreign countries, it is somehow a foreign donor? Senator Farrell, you can do a lot better than that.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Senators:
Honourable senators interjecting—
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
A point of order, Senator Cormann?
Opposition senators interjecting—
Order on my left! Can we at the least have silence for points of order?
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance
On a point of order, and I seek your guidance here, Mr President: I always understood that legal opinion was not within standing orders as a matter for questioning of ministers, and, as much as it was an obscure question, it was a question asking for legal opinion. Let me assist Senator Farrell nevertheless: the Prime Minister, being on the electoral role, is of course somebody who is permitted to donate under our proposed rules.
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
That is not a point of order, Senator Cormann. Senator Brandis, have you concluded your answer?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I have.
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
That wasn't a point of order. I've ruled against it, Senator Farrell.
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
I want to raise a new point of order.
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
What is it regarding? It can't be about relevance of the answer; the minister has concluded.
Jacinta Collins Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
Well, you gave him the call! He had already sat down. You gave him the call.
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
And I've checked with the minister, and he has concluded the answer.
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Is it not true under this new legislation that Senator Cormann—
Scott Ryan President, Special Minister of State
Senator Farrell, please resume your seat. You don't have the call, Senator Farrell. There's an opportunity to debate this after question time. I thought Senator Brandis resumed his seat because Senator Cormann had risen. I checked that after Senator Cormann concluded.