Sam Dastyari quits Federal Parliament

SAM Dastyari has sensationally quit. And his decision could have an unexpected impact on the Labor Party and the PM’s future.

LABOR’S Sam Dastyari today quit the Senate as the accumulation of questionable ties to Chinese contacts made his continued service impossible.

The 34-year old former party whiz-kid said he wanted to “spare the party any further distraction”.

His decision to quit the Senate ultimately was his own, Bill Shorten said today.

But the Opposition Leader pointed to his own barbed comments last Friday that Senator Dastyari’s career was going nowhere.

“His career in federal politics is over. He’s resigned. It was a tough decision,” Mr Shorten told reporters in the Sydney seat of Bennelong.

Labor is hosing down speculation Senator Dastyari will be replaced by Kristina Keneally should she lose the weekend’s Bennelong by-election.

The danger for Ms Keneally is voters might believe they could have her in the Upper House and Liberal John Alexander in the House of Representatives by voting against her.

A victory for Mr Alexander, who was forced to resign as Bennelong MP over dual citizenship, would help shore up Malcolm Turnbull’s power in the House of Representatives.

Mr Shorten today said: “If you want Kristina Keneally in Parliament the quickest path to that is to vote for her on Saturday.”

Kristina Keneally campaigning in Bennelong.

And he defended the integrity of his departing colleague, saying “without a doubt” Senator Dastyari was a force behind the banking royal commission, was a voice for multicultural Australia, and a critic of Pauline Hanson.

Ms Keneally said she had been offered a Senate seat by Labor previously and had turned the offers down.

“I am here running as the candidate for Bennelong. I have been offered only one thing and that is as candidate for Bennelong.” she told reporters.

‘I WILL NOT RETURN IN 2018’

Senator Dastyari said today: “Today, after much reflection, I’ve decided that the best service I can render to the federal parliamentary Labor Party is to not return to the Senate in 2018,” Senator Dastyari said today.

“I’ve not reached this decision lightly. But in my deliberations, I’ve been guided by my Labor values, which tell me that I should leave if my ongoing presence detracts from the pursuit of Labor’s mission.

“It is evident to me we are at that point, so I will spare the party any further distraction. I love the Labor Party.

“I know Australia needs a Labor Government and I refuse to let my personal situation put that prospect at risk.”

His shock decision followed claims from Immigration Minister Peter Dutton that he was a “double agent” working for China.

Senator Sam Dastyari holds a press conference to announce his resignation. Picture: AAP Image/Ben Rushton

The distractions raised by Senator Dastyari centred on his relations with a Chinese businessman living in Australia, Huang Xiangmo. He has been accused by Government figures of promoting Chinese policy in a bid to get donations for the ALP from Mr Huang.

After almost two weeks of political pressure, Senator Dastyari decided he would not return to the Upper House next year. He first sat in it in July, 2013 after working for three years as ALP general secretary in NSW.

His departure will create a casual vacancy and there is speculation it could be filled by Kristina Keneally should she not win the Bennelong by-election on Saturday.

On November 30, the Labor MP was forced from the front bench after his close ties to a Chinese donor were revealed.

The uproar has intruded on Ms Keneally’s federal campaign and dragged Opposition Leader Bill Shorten into claims of excessive foreign interference in Australian politics.

Senator Dastyari today said he had acted with integrity and with the best interests of the ALP in mind.

“I have always put the pursuit of the Labor cause first,” he said, apparently in response to charges he had contradicted Labor’s policy on the South China Sea to please Chinese hosts at a press conference.

Bill Shorten and Sam Dastyari in happier times. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

“Reflecting on the events that lead to my decision, I leave knowing I have always honoured my parliamentary oath, I’ve always acted with integrity, and I remain a loyal patriotic Australian.”

Bill Shorten said Senator Dastyari had told him of his decision this morning and he agreed.

“I told him I thought this was the right decision. I thanked him for his service to the Parliament, to the state of New South Wales and to the Australian Labor Party,” the Opposition Leader said in a statement.

There will be claims Mr Shorten should have made the decision himself and that he was slow to respond to the Dastyari revelations.

“Sam Dastyari is a good, decent and loyal Australian, and an effective parliamentarian, but his judgment has let him down and now he has paid the heaviest price,” Mr Shorten said.

“Sam can be proud of what he has achieved during his time as a senator.”

Mr Shorten indicated his young colleague had a big future ahead of this controversy.

“Sam is also a talented and tireless campaigner — his passion, organising skills and boundless good humour has engaged a new generation of progressive activists. I am sure Sam will continue to make a valuable contribution to our country in whatever he chooses to do,” he said.

Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong thanked Senator Dastyari him for his service to the party but added: “Sam has made the right decision in stepping down.”

“Sam brought to the Senate tenacity, determination and campaigning skills that shone a light on issues that the Government would rather have swept under the carpet,” she said in a statement.

“His tireless advocacy on behalf of victims of Australia’s banks, passionate and courageous opposition to racial and religious intolerance and determination to expose multinational tax avoidance are all achievements he can be proud of.

“He had a rare ability to communicate on these issues to many who were otherwise disengaged from politics.”

In his speech, Senator Dastyari said his parents, Ella and Nasser, fled a war-torn Iran, so that they could start a new life in Australia and he was proud of his achievements as an Australian Senator.

HIS CHINESE LINKS

* August 2013: Sam Dastyari elected to the Senate to replace Matt Thistlethwaite who quit to run for a lower house seat.

* 2015: ASIO cautions Labor and the Liberals against taking donations from two businessmen — Huang Xiangmo and Dr Chau Chak Wing — suspected of being conduits to the Chinese Communist Party.

* June 2016: Dastyari defends China’s actions in the South China Sea during a press conference to Chinese journalists, attended by Huang. “The Chinese integrity of its borders is a matter for China,” he said, contradicting Labor policy outlined by its then defence spokesman just days earlier. Details of the press conference were revealed in September 2016, at which time Dastyari said he had only “incorrectly” mumbled an answer to a question he should not have taken.

* August 31, 2016: Government documents reveal the Top Education Institute — a Chinese higher education provider — paid Dastyari’s $1670.82 excess travel bill. Dastyari admits in parliament he should have paid the bill himself.

* September 5, 2016: New details emerge that Dastyari failed to declare two bottles of wine worth $700 given by big Chinese donors.

* September 6, 2016: Shorten tells off his “junior senator” but will not sack him. Dastyari bumbles through a 26-minute press conference where he admits he was wrong to have a Chinese donor pay outstanding bills. He remains defiant that he did not provide political favours in return for the payments.

* September 7, 2016: Quits Labor shadow ministry and role as manager of opposition business in the Senate.

* October 2016: Met with Huang at the businessman’s Sydney mansion and reportedly told him they should leave their phones inside while they spoke outside, as a counter-surveillance measure, and warned him his phone may be tapped.

* February 2017: Appointed deputy opposition whip in the Senate. * June 2017: ABC’s Four Corners reports Dastyari lobbied for Huang to secure Australian citizenship. He says such efforts were part of his job and his office had dealt with hundreds of citizenship matters since he was elected.

* November 28, 2017: Fairfax reports on the October 2016 meeting with Huang. Full audio of the June 2016 press conference emerges, contradicting the senator’s September 2016 explanation.

* November 29, 2017: Bill Shorten tells Dastyari he must resign senior parliamentary positions, including as deputy opposition whip in the Senate. Dastyari says he is “shocked” the audio does not match his recollection of what he said at the press conference.

* December 11, 2017: New reports Dastyari attempted to persuade deputy party leader Tanya Plibersek in early 2015 not to meet an activist who had upset the Chinese Government.

* December 12, 2017: Dastyari announces he will quit the Senate, “guided by my Labor values” and to prevent further damage to the party.

— Timeline from AAP