John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has turned Kirribilli House into a fundraising venue for the Liberal Party. He has crossed the line in Australian politics in doing so. We in the Labor Party have always said that the Prime Minister’s expenditure at Kirribilli House is scandalous. Just one example is the excessive grog bill since Mr Howard became Prime Minister. Some $243,244 and counting has been spent at the Lodge and Kirribilli House. It has all been guzzled by Mr Howard and his cronies and all paid for by taxpayers. Kirribilli House, as we know, has become the venue for Christmas parties, for New Year’s Eve parties, for all these other knees-ups—for any excuse at all for a knees-up for Mr Howard. A number of years ago I dubbed Kirribilli House as party central. Now, of course, Kirribilli House is no longer party central: it is Liberal Party central. It has become an absolute example of the misuse and abuse of taxpayers money that we see from this government. We ask for answers in relation to the misuse of Kirribilli House by Mr Howard. We ask for some transparency. We ask for some accountability. We ask for the truth. And, of course, just for a change, what do we get? Just the same old response: none at all.

Today in question time we asked: what was the total food and drink bill for the Liberal Party function—not just the cost paid for by the Liberals? There was no answer. We asked what advice was provided by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet about costs that should be paid for by the Liberal Party. There was no answer. We want to know when the advice was sought. We want to know when it was provided. We want to know who sought that advice. We want to know why the government will not table that advice if they have got nothing to hide. Why the cover-up? Instead of the truth, what have we got? Ducking and weaving—a cover-up. The issue now is the definition of a ‘fundraiser’. We saw Mr Howard, before question time, in panic mode. Out he went to a press conference in the Prime Minister’s courtyard, red-faced—