Labor senator Sam Dastyari under fire for asking a Chinese firm to pay his bills

EMBATTLED Labor senator Sam Dastyari, who is under fire for asking a Chinese firm to pay his bills, has a history of accusing the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of being anti-Chinese.

EMBATTLED Labor senator Sam Dastyari, who is under fire for asking a Chinese firm to pay his bills, has a history of accusing the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of being anti-Chinese.

Records reveal that Senator Dastyari used his position as a member of parliament to repeatedly question DFAT officials in 2014 and 2015 about China policy and how the ­department could reconcile what appeared to be an “anti-China position”.

He had also quizzed the head of the department Peter Varghese on Australian policy toward the dispute in the South China Sea, and claimed Mr Varghese’s position could be interpreted as being anti-Chinese.

Labor Senator Sam Dastyari

The revelations came a day after it emerged Mr Dastyari had asked Sydney-based Chinese firm Top Education to pay a $1670 bill after he ­exceeded his taxpayer funded travel ­allowance.

Mr Dastyari had taken a pro-China stance on the South China Sea while standing next to a Chinese donor at a Sydney press ­conference.

The chairman of the company, Huang Xiangmo, has links to the Chinese government and donates to multiple political parties.

Attorney-General George Brandis questioned whether Mr Dastyari had been “compromised” while Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said Opposition Leader Bill Shorten had no option but to sack Mr Dastyari given he led the push for dumped minister Stuart Robert to be sacked after questionable dealings in China. “Stuart Robert had to stand aside from his role. Sam Dastyari should stand aside, full stop,’’ he said.

“Bill Shorten can either be consistent or he can be a hypocrite. If he is going to be consistent then Sam Dastyari should stand aside.”

Questions are now being asked about the relationship between Australian politicians and Chinese business.