Sam Dastyari feels heat after hounding defence officials

Sam Dastyari hounded senior defence officials with more than 115 questions about Chinese interests since 2013.

Labor senator Sam Dastyari. Picture: AAP

Sam Dastyari is under fire again for his “pro-China” stance after it was revealed he hounded senior defence officials with more than 115 questions about Chinese interests since his appointment to the Senate in 2013.

As reported by The Australian in September 2016, Senator Dastyari’s grilling of the former secretary of the ­Department of Defence Dennis Richardson and former DFAT secretary Peter Varghese undermines the senator’s claims he simply “misspoke” when supporting a pro-China line in regards to the South China Sea when appearing at a press conference alongside donor Huang Xiangmo.

Last week, the senator resigned as deputy opposition whip and as a committee chairman after it was ­revealed he warned Mr Huang his phone might by tapped.

Today, an analysis by The Daily Telegraph of ­estimate committee transcripts showed Senator Dastyari framed at least 115 questions representing China’s concerns regarding the South China Sea and Australia’s friendship with Japan over a three-year period.

However, Senator Dastyari last night justified his questions, telling The Daily Telegraph he was simply “holding this hopeless government to account”.