Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Yesterday in question time, when asked about the Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation which had been established by one of the Liberal Party's biggest donors, mining magnate Sally Zou, the minister said that she had never stood next to a Chinese benefactor. Does the minister stand by that answer? Is the fact that there are photos of her standing next to Chinese benefactors another coincidence, just like how we were told yesterday the naming of the Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation had nothing to do with her and it was just a coincidence?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If one thing is certain, it is that the word 'glorious' will never be in the same sentence as the name of the member for Burt! What is disturbing about this question is that it goes to show that Labor has no understanding of what the difference is when you are attending a Chinese banquet and lining up for a selfie or photo after photo. I assume that members opposite are asked for photographs at banquets and public events. There is a vast difference between standing and having your photograph taken—whether it is at a public event, at a Chinese banquet or walking through the airport—and standing at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydney with the Australian flag and a lectern with the Commonwealth coat of arms on it behind you and publicly, in the presence of your personal benefactor, opposing longstanding public policy of both the opposition and the government. The fact that Labor cannot tell the difference goes to show why we have such a national security crisis in the Labor ranks. There will be no public confidence in the Labor Party until such time as Senator Sam Dastyari and the member for Hunter are called upon by the Leader of the Opposition to explain their circumstances.