Sam Dastyari: Labor senator in deeper hot water over links to powerful Asian investor
EMBATTLED Labor Senator Sam Dastyariv organised and co-hosted an event in 2014 for a visiting Chinese official to introduce him to other federal MPs, but the tab was picked up by a Chinese think tank.
NSW
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OUTSPOKEN conservative backbencher Cory Bernardi is calling for a ban on foreign political donations in the wake of the Sam Dastyari scandal.
Senator Bernardi says donations should only be accepted from voters on the electoral roll.
It comes as Labor’s consumer affairs spokesman Sam Dastyari who’s also manager of opposition business in the Senate, faces mounting pressure to step aside following revelations a Chinese donor paid his personal debt.
“There is a general acknowledgment that there needs to be some donation reforms for political parties,” Senator Bernardi told ABC radio this morning.
He also questioned where the usually media friendly Senator Dastyari, who’s been branded ‘skyrocket Sam’ and ‘Shanghai Sam’ by senior government figure, has been.
“The Labor Party needs to release him from witness protection.”
Attorney-General George Brandis refused to be drawn on whether there was scope for political donations reform.
He said the Opposition was trying to distract from the Dastyari affair and he would not be “making a link between the two”.
“I am not going to be a commentator on the comments that some of my colleagues have made,” Senator Brandis told ABC radio.
The Daily Telegraph exclusively revealed today Senator Dastyari organised and co-hosted an event in 2014 for a visiting senior Chinese official in the Sydney parliamentary office block to introduce him to other federal MPs.
But the tab was picked up a Chinese think tank run by former foreign minister Bob Carr and an Australia-based Chinese property investor and political donor who paid a mystery $40,000 legal bill for Mr Dastyari that same year.
Mr Carr told The Daily Telegraph he had not attended the afternoon tea. But he confirmed the Australia China Relations Institute, based at the University of Technology Sydney, had covered the bill.
A spokesman for ACRI said Mr Dastyari had sought to host an “afternoon tea” in Sydney for MPs from both sides to meet China’s former ambassador to Australia and the head of China’s annual economic summit, the Baoa Forum.
“The planning of the event was largely undertaken by the parliamentary hosts and the event was held at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Office premises in One Bligh,” the spokesman said.
“In the circumstances, ACRI wanted to pay for the catering.
“This was the most efficient way of enabling MPs to meet the man in charge of an important annual event.”
ACRI is sponsored by Chinese property developers Yuhu Group whose chairman Haung Xiangmo, also the chairman of ACRI, has paid personal legal bills for Mr Dastyari.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Mr Dastyari had organised and co-hosted Mr Wenzhong Zhou, the former Chinese ambassador to Australia and the US, in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in 2014.
The one-hour event was co-hosted by Liberal backbencher David Coleman.
In revelations likely to blow back on the government, Mr Coleman has not declared the catered event, as required on his parliamentary register of interests. Mr Dastyari declared it on his Senate register.
Questions about the relationship between Mr Dastyari and powerful Chinese officials were raised following a press conference Mr Dastyari held in July 2014, attended by Mr Haung, during which the Senator declared Australia should stay out of the South China Sea dispute.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is in China for the G20 summit, launched a blistering attack on Mr Dastyari, saying he had undermined Australian policy.
“I’m here in China standing up for Australia. I’m standing up for Australia. Back home, Bill Shorten is standing up for Sam Dastyari’s right to take cash from a company, associated with a foreign government, and then express a view on foreign policy that undermines the Australian government’s foreign policy, which has had been supported by Mr Shorten himself,’’ he said.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was still standing by Mr Dastyari yesterday.
“He shouldn’t have done it and he has said he won’t do it again,’’ he said.
DASHER MAY HAVE TO PULL BACK PROFILE
ANALYSIS Daniel Meers
SAM Dastyari is the faceless man who quickly became one of the faces of the Labor Party.
The pocket-sized 33-year-old is one of the ALP’s best retail politicians. As a first-term backbench senator he commanded TV airtime that veteran frontbenchers dream of. He was elected to the Senate three years ago and after the July election was promoted to the shadow frontbench.
Despite his youth and diminutive statue, Dastyari is a powerbroker in the NSW Right. He negotiated whether his faction would back Anthony Albanese in a potential leadership coup earlier this year.
Dastyari remained a loyal supporter of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
“Dasher” as he is known, is famous for knowing everyone, everywhere. It’s a talent that has the potential to be his downfall. Critics say he does too much, too fast and puts his hands in too many pots. That’s in part why he is facing serious questions about his China relationship.
There is no doubt Dastyari is “pro-China” in his rhetoric and has a strong relationship with the Chinese community. The fact he receives donations and gifts from Chinese business doesn’t pass the pub test. Despite that, Shorten does not want to sack Dastyari. Shorten knows Dastyari’s ability to retail consumer messages is crucial to Labor, as is his factional support.
But it’s safe to say Dasher won’t be buzzing around in public soon. His wings are well and truly clipped.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
2013: Received two bottles of Grange, valued at around $700 each, from Chinese property group Yuhu Group. He donated the bottles to a charity organisation.
2014: Yuhu Group Pty Ltd paid $44,000 to cover senator Dastyari’s legal bills. The group was founded by billionaire Huang Xiangmo who donates to both political parties.
2014: Co-organised a function for the Secretary-general of China’s Boao Forum, Wenzhong Zhou. It was funded by a Chinese think tank bankrolled by Huang Xiangmo.
2015: Chinese donor Top Education gives Senator Dastyari $1670 to cover a bill owing to the Department of Finance. The organisation is run by Chinese businessmen Minshen Zhu.
2016: Reportedly stood alongside donor Huang Xiangmo at a media conference and backed China’s position on the South China Sea. He claims he was misquoted in the Chinese media.
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