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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-07-22 Daily Xml
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POLITICAL FUNDRAISING

Ms FOX (Bright) (14:28): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Can the minister advise the house if he is concerned about any emails to staff in his office seeking their participation in political fundraising?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (14:29): I am concerned on a number of levels about an email one of my ministerial staff received just yesterday, and I will read it to the house. It says:

David would like me to let you know about Luke Westley's Business Luncheon on Thursday 29 July at the Hilton Hotel. Luke is the Liberal Candidate for the Federal Seat of Adelaide. Luke will be speaking, as well as—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: No, I will get to the point in a moment. We don't mind you fundraising. I note your leader thinks it shouldn't be done; it is a bit grubby. Business fundraising shouldn't be done, a bit grubby. Let me go on:

Luke will be speaking, as well as the State Leader, Isobel Redmond—

that's the one who doesn't like business fundraising—

and the Shadow Minister for Education and Federal Member for Sturt, the Hon. Christopher Pyne MP.

My real concern is that this was sent to my office by the trainee in the Unley electorate office. I have a number of concerns. Firstly, I am a little concerned that the Liberal Party fundraising is going so badly that they are trying to get Labor staffers to go. I did say to him, 'You know, it is your choice. It would not be a good one, but it is your choice.' Apparently, however, he did not want to spend $150 to listen to Isabel Redmond and Christopher Pine, even together.

Mr WILLIAMS: On a point of order: I have been listening patiently to the answer to the question, and I fail to understand what responsibility the minister has to the house for this matter.

The SPEAKER: I will let the Minister for Transport go on a little bit longer and see.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: For the benefit of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition—and isn't he getting a bit stale in the job? He has been at it for a while, one of the longest serving ones, and I am just getting a bit stale with him. I reckon it is time for a new face. But for his benefit—

Mr WILLIAMS: On a point of order, Madam Speaker: you gave the minister an opportunity to explain to the house what relevance it had to his portfolio and I think he has failed miserably. I ask that you rule that we move on.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: May I?

The SPEAKER: Well, yes, very quickly.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I do not want improper emails in breach of the code of conduct for public servants being sent to my ministerial office. I do have responsibility for my ministerial office and, for the benefit of the deputy leader, he of the high standards in fundraising, and for the member for Unley, who does like pointing out that I am a constituent, I would prefer that his electorate staff work on electorate matters, not on his selfish fundraising—as a constituent.

Mr PENGILLY: On a point of order: the minister is clearly engaging in debate, not answering the question.

The SPEAKER: No, I do not uphold that point of order. He has actually now got to the point.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: For the benefit of the member for Unley—and let's all be fair; we are in politics. We do have some staff who are members of our parties and who are enthusiastic, but requiring trainees to participate—really! Where are the standards? Let me explain. There is a guide for ministerial and electorate offices, and can I assure members of the house that trainees, we are told, are to be treated the same as public servants in electorate offices. It states:

For example, no public servant can be required to participate in political activities like doorknocking as part of their employment.

I would have thought that fundraising is probably even a little more icky. We get a load of stuff from this bloke. Whenever there is something about a standard, you can always find the member for Unley. When it was dodgy documents, he found them. He handed the exploding cigar to Martin Hamilton-Smith. He said, 'Here you go, have a go at this.' And Martin Hamilton-Smith sits behind him now. I don't get it, but that's their standards. I would say, before they make noise about standards, that perhaps the Leader of the Opposition could have a quiet word with the member for Unley and ask him not to require trainees to do this sort of thing.

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