Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests:

Whether the former Member for Dunkley, Mr Bruce Billson, by accepting an appointment as, and acting as, a paid director of the Franchise Council of Australia whilst still a Member of the House gives rise either to any issues that may constitute a contempt of the House or to any issues concerning the appropriate conduct of a Member having regard to their responsibilities to their constituents and to the public interest.

In moving that way, I acknowledge that the motion does no more than your statement. I am not asking the House to form a conclusion on this matter and I acknowledge that your statement didn't seek to either. The motion simply seeks to refer a serious matter to the Committee of Privileges.

The motion is designed, quite specifically, to allow the committee to examine the conduct of both Mr Billson and the Franchise Council during the time that Mr Billson was a member of parliament. When I raised the issue, I specifically referred to—while it is in different words—the fact that the intention of the motion is to incorporate the issue which I raised, which was for the House to be able to give precedence to a motion to refer to the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests the question of whether Mr Billson's conduct, in accepting an appointment as, and acting as, a paid director of the Franchise Council of Australia while still a member of the House, amounts to corruption in the execution of his office as a member of the House such as to constitute a contempt of the House, and whether his conduct amounts to lobbying for reward or consideration such as to constitute a contempt of the House and whether the Franchise Council, or any of its staff or directors, has by appointing and paying Mr Billson as a director of that lobby group while he was still a member of the House, sought to bribe, or has bribed a member of the House, such as to constitute a contempt of the House. I urge the House, as has always been the case, to deal with this matter of privilege in the usual way. We make no conclusion by carrying this resolution but we do determine that the House will ensure that the matter is examined in the appropriate way by the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests.

Question agreed to.