Senator Richard Colbeck under fire from some members for keeping raffle prize
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck has upset some party members after winning a $24,000 car in a fundraising raffle. Read the details.
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck was a big winner at the party’s recent state council meeting.
He won a new car in a fundraising raffle and has ruffled some feathers by not asking for a redraw.
“People were gobsmacked that he didn’t offer it back as a redraw,” one party member said.
“Lucky Richard eh?
“The feeling was he’s on a bloody good wicket and should have handed it back.”
Another long-term member agreed, saying Senator Colbeck already had a taxpayer-funded car with his job as a senator.
There were 600 tickets on offer for the Chery Tiggo 4 valued at $23,990 – the only prize in the raffle — at $100 each.
It was drawn on Saturday at the party’s state council meeting in Devonport.
Senator Colbeck, who is in budget estimates hearings, was contacted for comment.
He was first elected to the Senate in 2002 to fill a casual vacancy, lost his seat in 2016 but replaced Stephen Parry in 2018.
A moderate in the Liberal Party, Senator Colbeck was re-elected for a six-year term in this year’s election.
He is a former minister for aged care, tourism and sport.
A Senator gets paid $233,643 and there is an electoral allowance of $39,700 a year and travel allowance for trips to Canberra.
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