Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Is the minister aware that under section 287 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act, services provided for less than full price and gifts of services or products are considered as political donations? Can the minister confirm that the Liberal Party paid not one cent for the use of Kirribilli House as a venue for the drinks function on 1 June? Doesn’t this free venue hire constitute an in-kind donation by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, who pay the cost of official residences, to the Liberal Party? Isn’t this revelation of free venue hire of a taxpayer funded official residence simply further proof that this government has forgotten all about public accountability and is totally out of touch?

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senators on my right will come to order.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I only just heard the question. There is not really much I can add to my previous two or three answers on this issue over the last couple of days. I reported yesterday that the decision to hold the function was made taking into account previous advice from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet that it is appropriate to hold non-fundraising functions on a full cost recovery basis. That is internal advice to the government. I am not going to table it. It was clear advice to the government as to the nature of the Prime Minister’s appropriate behaviour in hosting functions. Prime Ministers—whether they are our Prime Minister, Labor Prime Ministers or others—have always and traditionally hosted functions of a variety of kinds, such as for the press gallery, business observers or community groups from around the country, at the Lodge and Kirribilli House. On this occasion the Prime Minister hosted drinks for delegates to the federal council of the Liberal Party and their business observers. The Liberal Party was billed fully for the marginal costs of hosting that function—that is, for food, beverages, casual staff and associated hire charges. I have nothing further to add.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. I again ask the minister: does this free venue hire not constitute an in-kind donation such that section 287 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act applies? Can the minister indicate whether the Prime Minister’s department will now be required to submit an annual disclosure return to the AEC declaring this in-kind donation of venue, staff and security to the Liberal Party, as required under the act, or is the government too embarrassed to list Australian taxpayers as donors to the Liberal Party?

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong is drawing a very long bow now, but, on the basis of advice that is available to me, the answers to the two questions that Senator Wong just asked are: no and no.