Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Banking and Financial Services) Share this | Hansard source

‘It was so popular,’ says Senator McGauran. There is no complaint about fundraising for business activities or for delegates, but involving Kirribilli House—the second official residence of the Prime Minister—in that fundraising activity is where the line needs to be drawn. As I said, the business observers function was apparently at a cost of about $8,000 per head. Part of the commercial fundraising package was a cocktails, wine, oysters, prawns and soup event at Kirribilli House. Kirribilli House is owned by the taxpayer and paid for by the taxpayer. It is the second residence of the Prime Minister, Mr Howard. The quoted cost of that package, with associated security for some 225 guests, was $5,186.78. It does seem a suspiciously low attributed cost when you compare it to the commercial costs at a local restaurant, the Guillaume restaurant, with harbour views, where the cost is $30 a person. It does seem a suspiciously low cost on a commercial basis for providing this— (Time expired)