Dastyari quits as deputy whip on Shorten’s direction; PM demands resignation
READ MORE
Controversial Labor figure Sam Dastyari has formally resigned from his senior roles in the Senate on opposition leader Bill Shorten’s instruction, after a leaked audio recording revealed the senator made strong comments in support of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The NSW senator had previously downplayed the comments he made in June last year, saying he “incorrectly” mumbled an answer to a question.
But the newly released tape reveals the senator made a clearly articulated, well rehearsed statement.
On Thursday morning, Sam Dastyari told the Senate chamber he was “not without fault” and confirmed he would resign from two positions: as Labor’s deputy whip in the Senate, and as chair of a Senate committee into the future of journalism.
“A recent audio recording shocked me as it did not match my recollection of events,” he said.
“When a public official makes a statement that contradicts events there are consequences.”
“For me, the consequences were being called last night by Bill Shorten and being asked to resign from my position in the Labor Senate organisational leadership.”
The leaked audio reveals the senator made a spirited defence of China’s position on the South China Sea, which is contested by a number of Asian nations.
Both Labor and the Coalition support a “rules-based” order in the region, and support the free passage of trade ships through the contested waters.
“The Chinese integrity of its borders is a matter for China,” Senator Dastyari told a room full of Chinese reporters on June, 2016.
“The role that Australia should be playing, as a friend, is to know, that with the several thousand years of history … where it is and isn’t our place to be involved,” Mr Dastyari said in the recording.
Turnbull pushes for total resignation
The NSW senator has not resigned from the Senate itself, depite demands from senior figures in the Turnbull Government.
Attorney-General George Brandis said Senator Dastyari’s stepping down from the organisational roles was “not the end of the matter”.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is calling for Senator Dastyari to quit politics altogether.
“Dastyari should resign from the Senate,” the Prime Minister said.
“This is a senator who has made it abundantly clear that his first allegiance is not to Australia.”
“If he refuses to resign, Shorten should dump him from the Labor Party and let him languish in contempt on the
crossbench.”
Senator Brandis said the leaked audio was evidence Chinese donor Huang Xiangmo was “almost literally pulling the strings” of the outspoken Labor senator.
“These were deliberate, considered, scripted remarks and their purpose was to send a message through the Chinese media that were a Labor government to have been elected, its foreign policy in relation to China would be at variance from what had been announced by the [then] Labor shadow minister Senator Conroy,” he said.
Article source: http://watoday.com.au/sport/tennis/sam-stosur-out-of-french-open-loses-top-australian-ranking-20170604-gwkb8n.html
Comments
Post a Comment