Gerard Rennick (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) on 5 November 2019, Sunsuper confirmed it was in merger talks with QSuper – Queensland's largest superannuation fund, which would create the nation's largest superannuation fund,

  (ii) the Chairman of the Sunsuper Board is the Honourable Andrew Fraser, former Queensland Treasurer and State Labor Member for Mount Coot-tha,

  (iii) Ms Anne Fuchs, Sunsuper Head of Advice and Retirement, is the Treasurer of the Queensland Labor Party and a Director of Labor Holdings Pty Ltd – the Queensland Labor Party's investment arm;

(b) expresses its concern at the $11,000 political donation made by Sunsuper to the Queensland Labor Party on 5 September 2019;

(c) calls on Sunsuper to ensure that the interests of its hardworking members are the primary consideration in all business decisions; and

(d) calls on the Queensland Government to ensure that due process is followed in all decisions regarding the proposed Sunsuper and QSuper merger and reflect on whether it is appropriate for its party organisation to accept an $11,000 political donation from Sunsuper.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rennick's motion objects to favours for mates, conflicts of interest, the revolving door between government and industry, and donations influencing decisions. We agree, but it's a bit rich for a member of the Liberal Party to be crying foul about donations to the Labor Party. They didn't think it was a problem when the Liberal donor Canstruct International was awarded the lucrative Nauru detention centre contract. They didn't think it was a problem when the big four donated to the Liberal Party and secured consultancy contracts. They didn't think it was a problem when Adani donated to the Liberal Party and, days later, secured the approval it needed for its mine. But the Australian people and the Greens think it's a problem no matter who does it. We need to stop the revolving door, end the influence of big money and set up an independent federal corruption watchdog to clean up politics once and for all.

Question agreed to.