One Nation denies conflict of interest over use of James Ashby’s printing business
MORE than $10,000 in taxpayer cash has been paid to the printing business of Pauline Hanson’s chief-of-staff James Ashby since One Nation stormed to office last year.
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MORE than $10,000 in taxpayer cash has been paid to the printing business of Pauline Hanson’s chief-of-staff James Ashby since One Nation stormed to office last year.
Queensland Labor Senator Murray Watt said it was a massive conflict of interest and a “backroom operation”.
But Mr Ashby said there was no conflict because he provided services at cost, so made no money out of it and that it was a saving for taxpayers.
Parliamentary documents reveal at least nine separate payments have been made by the Department of Finance to James Ashby or his company, Coastal Signs and Printing, between last November and March this year for printing, communications, stationery and business cards.
The charges were entitlements requested by Senator Hanson, and one by One Nation Senator Brian Burston, ranging in price from $19.89 to $3815.35, according to a Government response to a question on notice from Senator Watt. The cost totalled $10,187.
Under parliamentary rules, a senator can select a specific business for printing, while payment to a staff member is acceptable only if that staff member is being reimbursed for approved expenditure. The senator must certify it is within the rules and can be forced to personally cover the cost if it is not.
Senator Watt said Senator Hanson needed to explain why her party was directing taxpayer money towards her chief-of-staff’s private company.
Mr Ashby provided examples of some receipts that showed the cost charged to Coastal Signs and Printing matched exactly what his company invoiced the department.
“The public’s trust in Pauline is evident and we won’t break that trust,” he said.
Mr Ashby said the party pre-emptively posted copies of some of the receipts to Facebook as an example of transparency.
He said a box of business cards retailing for $250 cost only $77 when provided at cost through his company.
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