Sam Dastyari gave wrong answer on China, say Labor MPs

SENIOR Labor MPs have restated the Opposition’s stance on the South China Sea, amid reports Senator Sam Dastyari pledged support to China.

Labor Senator Sam Dastyari has had a controversial start to the 45th Parliament.

SENIOR Labor members have restated the Opposition’s stance on the South China Sea, amid reports Senator Sam Dastyari pledged support to China at a media conference with a political donor.

“The South China Sea is China’s own affair. On this issue, Australia should remain neutral and respect China’s decision,” he said, according to a Fairfax report, citing Chinese media.

But Tony Burke says Labor’s position is clear and told Sky News that “all parties should respect international law and we urge restraint and that’s the position and that’s what the answer should have been”.

It comes after Dastyari conceded he should have paid a $1670 travel bill himself instead of asking a Chinese donor to cover it.

Sam Dastyari was all smiles at the annual Midwinter Ball at Parliament House in Canberra last night where he was accompanied by his wife Helen Barron. Pictured with Stephen Conroy.

Outspoken Coalition backbenchers labelled the Sydney senator the “Manchurian candidate” and called on Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to consider whether Mr Dastyari is a “fit and proper” person to be in parliament.

Labor heavyweights defended the newly promoted shadow minister, arguing the issue had only come to light because Mr Dastyari had openly declared the payment on his public declaration of interests instead of hiding it.

The Department of Finance issued the opposition consumer affairs spokesman with the bill after he had spent more than the $95,000 in annual travel entitlements for himself and staff, which ­includes trips to Canberra every year.

Tony Burke says Sam Dastyari gave the wrong answer on China.

When the bill arrived, Mr Dastyari asked the Sydney-based Top Education Institute, which is run by Chinese businessman Minshen Zhu, to pay.

The businessman was a delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing in 2014.

Mr Dastyari addressed the matter in parliament yesterday, saying he had since given the payment to charity. “On reflection I should have paid that amount myself. I take full responsibility and I’ve donated that amount to charity,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce again used question time to have a dig at Senator Dastyari for this “entrepreneurial flair”.

“They need somebody who has the capacity to find the loot,” he said.

“They need Senator Sam Dastyari.

“Someone who has the capacity to see around the corners to get around the difficult corners.

“They need a captain thunderbolt of politics.”

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton liked Senator Dastyari’s request for a Chinese company to payback his travel expenses to the plot of a Canberra-based television series call Secret City.

“My favourite episode was Falling Hard,” he told the Parliament.

“If this Leader of the Opposition has any leadership skill at all, that is exactly what will happen to Senator Sam Dastyari.”

Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke attempted to table photographs of political donor Huang Xiangmo with members of the Coalition, but was knocked back by Speaker Tony Smith.

Originally published as Sam Dastyari gave wrong answer on China, say Labor MPs