Via Domainfax:
The Turnbull government is calling on high-profile Labor senator Sam Dastyari to apologise for “threatening” the electoral commissioner over his investigation into a light plane used by Pauline Hanson.
Special Minister of State Scott Ryan has accused Senator Dastyari of going “way too far” by using social media to tell Australian Electoral Commission boss Tom Rogers he should resign if Ms Hanson does not face penalties.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson reveals who the plane she flew in to campaign in Queensland was bought for, who paid for it and if she’s in any trouble.
Senator Dastyari made the comments on Twitter after Ms Hanson claimed in a TV interview that the AEC “hasn’t got any issue” with the plane. She said it first looked into the plane in January.
Ms Hanson said the plane flown by her controversial chief of staff James Ashby was personally funded by a property developer supportive of One Nation but she did nothing wrong by not declaring it as a donation.
“Complete bullshit. If Hanson walks from this the @AusElectoralCom Commissioner needs to resign. Look forward to estimates,” Senator Dastyari tweeted after the interview.
Senator Ryan said Senator Dastyari’s intervention was “extraordinary”.
Some people really don’t know when to shut up. To wit from last year:
This month Senator Dastyari altered his declaration of interests to include confirmation that he had secured “support for settlement of electorate staff travel budget overspend”.
The declaration says the payment was made by Top Education Institute, a company with links to China.
The Government says this is not a political donation, but instead shows Senator Dastyari calling on the company to pay off a debt incurred by his office.
In 2014, Senator Dastyari declared that Yuhu Group – a subsidiary of a state-linked operation based in China – helped settle a legal matter for him.
In the declaration filed on November 20, Senator Dastyari wrote “support for settlement of outstanding legal matter”.
It reportedly cost $40,000.
In the same year, Senator Dastyari revealed the Australia China Relations Institute paid to cater an afternoon tea for him.
Flights, accommodation and hospitality for a 15-day trip to China in 2014 were funded by the Australian Fellowship of China Guangdong Associations Incorporated. A nine-day trip in January this year was supported by the China Australian Guangdong Chamber of Commerce Incorporated.
Now, our Sam will no doubt defend himself on the basis that he broke no rules while he alleges that Pauline’s plane did.
But, I put it to you, is that really what matters here or, in public relations terms, is commuting in a Cessna a little less incriminating that taking cash with links to foreign powers?
