John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The decision taken before the event was held was that, given it was an event taking place in conjunction with the Liberal Party Federal Council, it would be proper for the Liberal Party to pay the additional costs involved in hosting the event. And when I speak of additional costs I mean the additional costs of food and drink and any additional security, and the additional cost of any further staff that were obliged to attend. I think I advised the House of a figure of some $5,100, to which should be added, I am now told, some security costs of several hundred dollars.

I also inform the House that prior, to the event being held, verbal advice was obtained from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet by my chief of staff that, given all the circumstances and given the intention of the Liberal Party to pay the additional costs, it was an entirely appropriate use of the official residence. That was the advice that was obtained.

Much has been made of the fact that these delegates were coming to the federal council meeting only because of the possibility, of which they were not formally advised before accepting the invitation to come, that they would be able to come to Kirribilli House. That might be a valid argument if the only opportunity of access to me or my ministers occurred at the Kirribilli House function. But I can tell the House that, unlike other party conferences, there was full access to me and to senior ministers at the meetings of the federal council and all the surrounding occasions, so there is no question of this being an improper use.

I simply remind the parliament that, whatever may be said about Kirribilli House, no use of Kirribilli House in relation to me or the Liberal Party could possibly match the use of Kirribilli House in 1988 to determine the future leadership of the Australian Labor Party. It is very instructive, when you are talking about who was included and who was not included, that at the famous Kirribilli House pact the only two people present, other than Mr Hawke and Mr Keating, were the then leader of the ACTU and the person who was then known as the most beneficial financial supporter of Bob Hawke and of the Australian Labor Party. That was a metaphor for the approach that government took to the use of Kirribilli House. (Time expired)

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