Sam Dastyari should quit parliament, John Howard says

The former PM has accused Bill Shorten of protecting the Senator because the Opposition Leader relies on his factional support.

Former PM John Howard says Senator Sam Dastyari should leave Parliament. Picture: Kym Smith

Former prime minister John Howard has declared Labor senator Sam Dastyari should leave parliament.

The former member for Bennelong joined Liberal by-election candidate John Alexander out on the hustings and received a celebrity welcome, with many locals eager to take selfies with him.

Mr Howard, Australia’s second longest serving prime minister, accused Bill Shorten of protecting Senator Dastyari because he relies on his factional support.

“I think Sam Dastyari should leave the parliament,” Mr Howard said at an event at his former electorate of Bennelong.

“Who is standing behind Sam Dastyari? Bill Shorten because he relies on his factional support.

“I think the sight of him mouthing a line of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government ought to disqualify him from parliament.”

Mr Howard rejected claims the government’s clamp down on foreign influence could put off the large Chinese community in Bennelong ahead of a crucial by-election.

“I don’t think so, I think everybody understands that when you come to this country, no matter where you come from, whether you come from China or India or Britain or Ireland or New Zealand or Greece or Italy, you become part of the Australian community,” Mr Howard said.

It's great to be in #Eastwood with my good friend, our former PM John Howard. I’m asking for your support so I can get on with the job of delivering for #Bennelong. #ServingBennelong pic.twitter.com/sIydjhB56N

— John Alexander (@JAforBennelong) December 7, 2017

“Australia is in the western liberal tradition, we believe in free speech, we believe in a free media and we believe in freedom of religion and we also believe very strongly in the equality of men and women, they are the distinguishing features of western liberalism.

“When you come to this country everybody is expected to play by those rules, it doesn’t matter what your background is, that doesn’t mean you stop loving the country you may have been born in but once you come here you are part of the Australian mainstream.

“I don’t think the government is overreacting.”

Mr Howard said the Coalition, which is currently facing a tough challenge from Labor candidate, former NSW premier Kristina Keneally, was not taking the crucial by-election “lying down”.

Former PM and member for Bennelong John Howard campaigns with Liberal candidate John Alexander in Eastwood in the seat of Bennelong. Picture: John Fede

“We don’t take this by-election lying down, it’s quite hard,” Mr Howard said,

“If you think for a moment that we are taking this by-election for granted, we are not. I’ve been in politics a long time to understand the difficulties and the challenges. You’ve got the resources of the Labor Party, GetUp and the unions and a candidate for the Labor Party who has got a high-profile, although she carries a lot of political baggage with her because of her failure as a premier of NSW.”

Mr Howard added that he admired Mr Alexander for being forthcoming over the citizenship debacle while criticising Labor’s handling of the problem.

Mr Alexander resigned from Parliament in November after British authorities were unable to uncover any evidence to support repeated assurances he was not a dual citizen.

“He’s been very upfront in the confusion of the citizenship issue,” said Mr Howard.

“He chose to put his job on the line, and he’s shown a lot more courage and a lot more guts than other people I could name, but discretion suggests I shouldn’t do so. I think people understand authenticity, people want authenticity in politics. He said right, I accept that I might be affected by it, I’ll be upfront, I won’t be dragged kicking and screaming to a by-election. I’ll put myself on the line and I admire that. This is a bloke who played his heart out on the tennis court and he’s worked his heart out for the people of Bennelong since he was elected to parliament in 2010.”

It was Mr Howard’s first official campaign visit during this by-election.