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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-08/mps-defend-foreign-political-donations/7826060
Evidently the same Chinese company donated $300k to the LIBERAL PARTY, one would hate to think how much the Israelis or their affiliates donate
a JOKE
Tom
Coalition MPs have defended accepting political donations from foreign donors, describing party contributions as a different situation from that which forced the frontbench resignation of Labor senator Sam Dastyari.
Senator Dastyari resigned from the shadow ministry yesterday after admitting he asked for a payment from a Chinese-based company to cover a $1,600 personal debt.
He had also declared Yuhu Group, a subsidiary of a state-linked operation based in China, helped settle a legal matter for him in 2014.
The incident has renewed debate over the need for reform of the political donation system, which has seen both Labor and Liberal branches receive hundreds of thousands of dollars from Chinese-linked organisations and individuals.
Government frontbencher Christopher Pyne said it was "perfectly justifiable" for political parties to receive campaign donations from foreign donors, but they should not pay personal debts.
The Liberal Party has also received donations from Yuhu Group, but Mr Pyne told the ABC foreign donations should be accepted in some instances.
"People are entitled to support the political party of their choice."
Mr Pyne said he was open to having discussion about reform, echoing comments made by Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce earlier this week.
Treasurer Scott Morrison said the issue of donation reform was a matter for the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and the Special Minister of State.
Donations transparency 'a wooden stake to a vampire'
The Government is continuing its attacks on the Opposition in the wake of Senator Dastyari's resignation, accusing Opposition Leader Bill Shorten of failing to act against the former frontbencher and being prepared to tolerate his activities.
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Photo: A company with links to the Chinese Government paid a $1,600 travel bill for Senator Sam Dastyari. (AAP: Dean Lewins)
But Labor is using the incident as a launch pad to push for reform, saying Senator Dastyari's actions were a mistake, but one made within the rules.
Mr Shorten told reporters in Sydney today Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had an opportunity to "restore some faith in the political process".
He said political donation reform would be addressed by Labor when Parliament returned next week.
"We have an issue of foreign donations in this country," he said.
"Senator Dastyari has stepped down, now we can focus on the bigger picture."
Labor's deputy leader in the Senate, Stephen Conroy, said the Liberal Party had twice voted against reforming and banning foreign donations in the past two years.
"In terms of the relationship between foreign companies, I believe all donations should be banned," he said.
"I have a very simple position on this, the consistent and simple position of the ALP — we want to ban foreign donations, so there is no question that there can be too much closeness or an undue influence."
Labor's policy is to ban foreign donations, ban anonymous donations above $50, reduce the donation disclosure threshold from $13,000 to $1,000, and introduce new offences for abuses of the disclosure process.
Questions had been asked over why Senator Dastyari asked the organisation to pay his bill, something he would not be drawn on during Tuesday's press conference.
He told Channel Nine today, "I had a bill, I didn't want to pay the bill".
"I asked them to pay it because I didn't want to pay it, and frankly that was wrong, that's a mistake," he said.
"I'm paying a price for a mistake."