Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

As the member opposite knows full well, the reason he has those dates and the reason he has that information is that it was all declared in due time in the appropriate course on the public register. As the former minister also would be fully aware, it being my first term in parliament, there would be no public money available if I were to do any overseas travel relative to my portfolio. To have private sponsorship was the only way that that was able to be done.

See this speech in context