Sam Dastyari should return to politics, says NSW Labor general secretary Kaila Murnain
NSW Labor powerbroker Kaila Murnain has appealed for disgraced former senator turned KIIS FM celebrity guest Sam Dastyari to return to the political frontline. Mr Dastyari was once seen as a rising star before a scandal over his links to Chinese interests forced him to quit last December.
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NSW Labor powerbroker Kaila Murnain has begged disgraced former senator Sam Dastyari to return to the political frontline.
Mr Dastyari was once seen as a rising ALP star before a scandal over his links to Chinese interests forced him to quit in December 2017.
Ms Murnain, the general secretary of NSW Labor, praised Mr Dastyari on Sky News last night and made a direct appeal to him to return to politics.
“Sam, if you’re watching, we do want you back,” she told The Daily Telegraph’s Political Editor Sharri Markson.
NSW Labor General Secretary @kailamurnain: I have a lot of time for @samdastyari - I do consider him a friend.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) July 12, 2018
He has a lot of talent - Sam if you're watching, we do want you back.
MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #sharrimarkson pic.twitter.com/5qXAfee9Q5
“He has enormous talent,” Ms Murnain added.
“Frankly the Labor Party is very lucky to think that we might be able to get him back at some point in some capacity … I really want to see him play a role.” Since his resignation, Mr Dastyari has regularly appeared on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on KIIS FM.
He also works with political consultants Essential Media.
But Mr Dastyari laughed off the idea of him returning to politics.
“For the first time in my adult life I can wake up and
not have to freak out about what’s in the papers,” he told The Telegraph. “The rush you get for being able to sleep at night is far better than the adrenaline of politics.”
Mr Dastyari, one of Ms Murnain’s predecessors in the top NSW Labor job, had earlier risen to become the Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate and Labor’s consumer affairs spokesman, pushing for a royal commission into the banks. Mr Dastyari resigned from the Senate earlier this year after contradicting the party’s policy on the South China Sea and with concerns about his close relationship to political donors with links to the Chinese government.
Ms Murnain — considered one of Labor’s brightest minds — said NSW Labor was “lucky” to have Mr Dastyari, and she hoped he would “continue to play a role” in the party.