Bill Shorten fails to act on Dastyari or dual citizens

The double standards employed by Bill Shorten on dual citizenship and the transgressions of Labor senator Sam Dastyari are deeply worrying. For some time the Opposition Leader has been skilful in politics, adept in advocacy and ascendant in opinion polling yet, on these two issues alone, he runs the risk of demonstrating a lack of suitability for the prime ministership. The Australian is alarmed by some of Labor’s policies — including higher renewable energy targets, increased taxation, deeper deficits and resistance to company tax cuts — but Mr Shorten must demonstrate leadership credentials by showing he places the national interest ahead of partisan or factional concerns.

With the help of too many in the media Mr Shorten and Labor have tried to distract from the Dastyari affair by referring to foreign donations, links between other politicians and China, and even the way one former Chinese staff member is working on the Bennelong by-election campaign. These may all be worthwhile issues — especially foreign donations — but they are raised now as a blatant attempt at false equivalence. They do not match or ameliorate Senator Dastyari’s dilemma.

By any sensible measure, the ALP factional powerbroker has forfeited his right to sit in federal parliament. Not only has he been exposed for passing on personal debts to be paid by a Chinese benefactor with close links to Beijing but he has been caught out on tape reciting — for a Chinese-language audience — a pro-China foreign policy position that is at odds with Australia’s and the ALP’s position. This showed reckless disregard for the national interest. In the wake of this controversy Senator Dastyari visited the home of his billionaire benefactor, Huang Xiangmo, and advised him that their mobile phones could be under surveillance from security agencies so they should leave them inside and hold their discussion in the back yard. We do not know what it was about their talks that warranted this precaution. This is a scandalous series of events yet Mr Shorten is happy to keep Senator Dastyari in parliament.

Likewise, on the dual citizenship controversy Mr Shorten had refused to act. There has been sufficient public evidence for many weeks that at least three Labor parliamentarians should be referred to the High Court. Senator Katy Gallagher and lower house MPs Justine Keay and Susan Lamb were, on their own admission, dual citizens at the time they nominated for election last year. On that basis, given the most recent ruling of the High Court, they must be referred. Yet the Opposition Leader has been defiant, demanding one standard for the Coalition and exempting his own side. The Coalition has referred members to court and had them resign or face by-elections. As all MPs table details this week, anyone with questionable circumstances from any party must be referred. But Mr Shorten, who has already failed to act when he should have, has the temerity to claim the government is protecting its own. The Opposition Leader has been given a chance to show leadership on issues of significant national interest, and so far he is failing the test.