Labor's Sam Dastari, who makes a habit of lecturing others on morality, is alleged to have been accepting wads from Chinese interests.

When the curtain is lifted a mite, there are thousands of more dollars involved. But Dastari has self-righteously declared that the sums like $40k are a 'minor matter',

"Last year it was revealed Chinese property-based firm Yuhu Group paid $40,000 of legal bills when Senator Dastyari was sued by an advertising firm over his conduct when he was the secretary of the NSW Labor Party"

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/is-sam-dastyari-fit-to-be-in-parliament-pressure-builds-on-chinesefunded-mp-20160830-gr54sn.html

The trivia of gay marriage occupies federal politicians and maybe they need diversions like that to avoid any examination of their own performance and principles.

If the federal parliament was a reputable private company, Dastari would be long gone.

Others may be stretching the envelope with impunity too. Is that any defence? Or is it reason for sterner action and legislation to ensure that Australian politicians, like the politicians of most other countries, are prohibited from receiving donations from foreign interests and for obvious reasons?

Oh dear the abc will have to find another favourite son to push their sick ideologies.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Chinese are, reportedly, complaining that they are not getting enough influence in Australia for the money they are giving to political parties here! Are Australian politicians now so sleazy that they take money from foreigners wanting influence in our country? Do the political donations have anything to do with the selling off of Australian land, farms, real estate, industry, power generators and ports?

I am not accusing anyone of anything, but every Australian has the right to ask these questions. Elected politicians accepting money from foreign people/powers can never be acceptable.

It is not just one stupid senator who has to front up and prove to Australians that their hands are clean - or not.

ttbn, who reported that?

It goes without saying Dastyari should go, and Shorten should act immediately. Here in NSW we are well aware of political corruption in both the Labor and Liberal Parties. NSW is fortunate to have an ICAC to investigate politicians, and their corrupt practices. Only yesterday the NSW ICAC exposed the Liberal Party and its illegal developer slush funds, and how party members have been illegally taking donations from property developers. Charges have been recommended against some involved. These findings calls into question why so many developments applications, over 98%, in NSW have been given the rubber stamp by the state government.
Given the evidence, a federal ICAC is a must, something both the federal Liberal and Labor Parties hotly oppose. I wonder why!

Paul1405,

You may not have seen this. A different review means is recommended and the reasons given. Perhaps the Greens could run with it instead,

<Federal ICAC would not work, anti-corruption expert warns

Anti-corruption expert Adam Graycar has cautioned against a federal ICAC-style body.
The AustralianFebruary23, 2016

..Professor Adam Graycar, who has worked with the World Bank, United Nations and Transparency International and written books about corruption, says a federal ICAC is the wrong way to go.

He told an audience at Flinders University’s Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences that another anti-corruption organisation is not the answer.

“There is a loud clamour for a commonwealth ICAC, but why would you want to set one up, when we don’t really know what the problem is, when it would certainly be under resourced, and when any activity would start a massive turf war between overlapping law enforcement agencies, and the likelihood of poor co-operation.”

He says that Australia has fallen from 7th to 13th in the international corruption perception index, but only one country ranked higher than Australia, Singapore, had a national anti-corruption body.

His alternative suggestion is an anti-corruption council, which would report to an all-party parliamentary committee. It would not investigate individual cases, but refer them to existing bodies such as the Australian Federal Police, the Public Service Commissioner, the Australian Taxation Office, and the Ombudsman.

These bodies would then take any prosecutions to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He said several countries used this model, including Finland, where brought together key governmental agencies such the police, justice, taxation, but also the business sector, non-governmental organisations and research...>
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/federal-icac-would-not-work-anticorruption-expert-warns/news-story/b70f64282a06af6beed413446a0ef451

Beach, what form an anti-corruption organisation should take is debatable, but what is needed is an effective body with teeth that can root out corruption in politics and associated public entities.
On balance the NSW ICAC has been effective on the score of uncovering political corruption, which at times has openly flourished in NSW.
I wounder where the likes of Eddie Obeid would be now if it was not for the ICAC in uncovering his dirty work. In the dark old days corrupt politicians could operate with total immunity, and many did.

Just as a side, one thing that irks me is, when exposed polititions believe they can make some kind of magnanimous gesture, like donating to charity, and believe all should be forgiven. News fellas... no! all is not forgiven, because you think it should be. Since the charity has now knocked back Dastyari's dough, maybe he can offer to light a candle in the church, or something, for the forgiveness of his sins.

Paul,

I agree that corrupt senators such as Sam Dastardly and SYH should go, just as the Lib ministers in NSW were kicked out.

And Shadow what evidence, or what charge do you level against Sarah Hanson-Young, other than you don't like her.
What a nest of vipers is the NSW Liberal Party you support. One thing both the Liberal and Labor Parties agree on, they don't like any independent scrutiny into what they get up to.
Shadow, one of your favourite NSW Liberals ex minister Chris Hartcher should face a criminal charge of larceny. Maybe you can give him some of your oft quoted legal advice.

Comment from the SMH, which I agree with;

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/icac-findings-demand-tough-donations-reform-20160830-gr4803.html

Today, ASIO head, Duncan Lewis, warned that some of the money donated to Austrlian political parties were from sources very close to the Chinese government.

Senator Conroy called for the banning of all foreign donations to politicians, universities etc. He said that Australia was one of very few countries which had not already banned the practice. No comment from our government.o

I certainly think the dealings involving $1600 with Sam Dastari need to be scrutinised but then I felt the same about Gina flying Julie bishop and Barnaby Joyce to India for the wedding of a member of a mining family with ties to Gina. not only that the pair of them claimed 'study allowance' return airfares.

Buying influence in Australian politics has become the norm and needs combating now. At least NSW moved against developer donations, something various Liberal Party functionaries tried their best to subvert.

The Turnbull government lasted 3 days before it was defeated in the Parliament. not once but 3 times. What a shocker! All this because the mob who likes to bang on about lazy overpaid Australian workers, had shot through early from kindy on a Thursday afternoon so they could enjoy an extra long long weekend. They hadn't even put in a decent days work!
In their eyes a rule for one, another rule for them, the privileged minority. Who do they think they are?

Has Dirty Dastyari done his dash and resigned yet. I like Chinese myself as much as Sam, do enjoy a good sweet and sour when its on offer, but they don't pay my rent!

Paul,

With respect to that gang of thieves known as the greens:

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young racks up travel expenses bill of almost $1 million - including $85,000 'to visit refugee camps and environmental summits' Senator Hanson-Young reportedly claimed nearly $970,000 in expenses Sum includes domestic and overseas claims, family costs and car costs She regularly posts pictures of her overseas fact finding missions online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3213698/Greens-senator-Sarah-Hanson-Young-racks-travel-expenses-bill-1-million.html

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has to repay $15,186 to taxpayers — almost twice the debt she was originally thought to have — after blowing her electorate staff travel budget.

The Australian revealed in December that Senator Hanson-Young had the largest debt of any MP or senator, at that point $8686.34 owed to the Department of Finance, and had negotiated a rare payment plan.

But documents released late yesterday under Freedom of Information laws show the total debt was actually $15,186.34. It relates to staff travel in 2013-14 — which for Senator Hanson-Young was also an election year — when her office had a $49,549.80 budget but exceeded it by about 30 per cent.

The South Australian senator, who holds three portfolios for the Greens, has previously come under scrutiny for the use of charter flights and overseas trips to environmental meetings and refugee camps.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/sarah-hansonyoungs-travel-budget-blows-out-to-15000/news-story/8661d6a9dede7f4ec63d71e712dc4ddb

Maybe that's why she was fired.

"Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young racks up travel expenses bill of almost $1 million"

Did she over-fly Sea Patrol at any time?

Sam Dastari may well have more hidden in the bushes.
I think the naivety of that Chinese business man says it all.
That he could think that making a statement like that Chinese are not
getting their monies worth out of their donations to the pollies makes
you wonder how widespread the Chinese have infiltrated our government,
political, public service and business organisations.
Alan Jones has been going on, as only he can, about the suspicious
deals in the mining area with Chinese mining companies.
It shows that the country is literally up for sale.
I suspect that Chinese business is universally corrupt.
Lay down with dogs and you get up with fleas.

Those of you who refuse to listen to Jones may have missed something.
This whole suspicion of Chinese buying land in very large amounts and
not a peep out of the governments now makes you wonder if a Royal
Commission might be needed, Oh yes I forgot it would have to come from parliament, another catch 22.

I do not dislike Sarah Hanson-Young I just think she is still a silly schoolgirl.

' I do not dislike Sarah Hanson-Young I just think she is still a silly schoolgirl. '

tut tut Bazz she certainly won't like you if you keep that up.

Oh dear Runner, do you think she will go me for offense under 18c ?

' Oh dear Runner, do you think she will go me for offense under 18c ?'

Pretty hard Bazz seeing someone with so much front being offended although nothing would surprise me these days. The poor white kids who were banned from using tax payer funded computers in Qld is as irrational as the Greens themselves.

Australia's first and only Middle Eastern Muslim Federal MP.
Could not wait to cash in on his position as a Senator.
"have you got a dollar,I need the bus fare home".
Disgraced Senator Dastyari in the street begging Asian students.
If the Labor Party do not sack him .The media will.

Liberal government in NSW will have to build another prison for all the criminal Labor Party members.

The anti Green hate mongers are at it again! Shame on you! Australia is truly blessed (like that word runner, I put it in just for you) to have such an outstanding representative as our very own apostle Saharh Hanson-Young. Who continually fights the good fight, on our behalf, despite yeah of little faith, trying as you will to besmirch the dear girls good name. You should be ashamed of yourselves, and fall down on your hands and knees and kiss the very ground she walks on, and beg forgiveness!

Runner, my dear chap, I would never wish it upon any person to be returned to childhood to be confined to a "school", it could be one of those christian schools of yours, run by your perverted religious fundo nutters.

' could be one of those christian schools of yours, run by your perverted religious fundo nutters.'

Oh dear Paul you have actually found a moral base to call something perverted. Well done. Obviously sexualising young kids in the name of 'safe' schools does not fit your defintion. Not surprising though since deviant minds have produced this program.

I see Sam Dastardly in into corruption much further than first thought. Not only is he eliciting bribes for the Chinese, but he is trying to ferret out Australia's defense options for his Chinese masters and giving speeches suggesting that Australia should roll over for the chinese in the china sea.

Perhaps I am old fashioned, but in my day acting on behalf of a foreign country against your own was known as treason, which is unfortunately commonplace amongst the left.

Dastyari had to hope this week that the load could be spread if opponents in the Liberal and National parties were found to have received similar help.

"In the meantime, his own problems compounded. It emerged that another Chinese company, Yuhu Group, paid $40,000 to cover Dastyari’s legal bills when he was sued over an advertising account dispute in 2013. Senator Dastyari also allowed Chinese company Yuhu to pay a $5000 settlement for a legal action after he was sued by Sydney company Diversified Communications in 2014. He noted the payment in his political disclosure register as: “Support for settlement of outstanding legal matter provided by Yuhu Group.”

In Senate estimates in June 2014, Senator Dastyari probed ­Defence Department secretary Dennis Richardson on whether Australia was taking sides by participating in joint communiques with the US and Japan on the South China Sea issue.

He also asked whether Australia’s alliance treaties would be ­activated in the event of conflict. Mr Richardson: “That is a hypothetical which we do not go to.’’

Also in June 2014, Senator Dastyari asked DFAT secretary Peter Varghese whether his department had done any analysis on what Australia’s obligations would be under the ANZUS Treaty."

"Anthony Albanese says Sam Dastyari didn't break any rules accepting Chinese money to pay for travel debt"

What a grub Albanese is. Shameful.

What hypocrites the left are. Bronwyn Bishop's spends $5000 on using a helicopter to get her to a function, and we never hear the end of it. SYH over claims $15000 and refuses to pay it back, and she still holds a portfolio, Sam Dastardly takes a bribe, and Fat Albert claims he's done nothing wrong.

What's good for the goose is good for the propaganda.

Australian Financial Review today, "Sam Dastyari's South China Sea support is a big deal and a timely warning"

"It is a priceless lesson in the vulnerability of Australian democracy to foreign influence in a contested Asia"
Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University a nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

Shadow, you are obviously a person with little, or no political experience. Its all about perception, in the case of Bishop she was perceived as a pompous ass who thought she had an entitlement which placed her above the rest of us. If you want to succeed in politics never ever place yourself above the people, Bob Hawke was very good at projecting an image of being "ordinary", John Howard at times was savvy, the green and gold trackie dacks were more valuable than a ton of policy . Paul Keating couldn't do it, and Tony Abbott just failed. Kevin Rudd could look good sometimes, his worse policy ever was "fair shake of the sauce bottle" showed he was out of touch and nerdy, also could have been perceived as being too smart for his own good, a bit Keating like. If only he had, had a policy of sucking and not shaking! He may have gone down as Australia's best PM ever. Gillard, well, she was a woman, and couldn't cut it in a pair of trckie dacks. Turnbull, is too elitists, he needs to get out and be seen eating a meat pie, but never ever be perceived as a none genuine pie eater, it spells political death.
it has nothing to do with reality, the dinosaur loving, multi millionaire Clive Palmer, for a short time developed a persona of ordinaryness, but it fell apart, and it was goodbye Clive. Hanson, although somewhat extreme, is perceived as ordinary by some, and therefore voteable, so is Xenophon. Bob Katter has a good persona, always looks like he's just popped in from the sheep muster, goes down well.
Dastyari, committed the cardinal sin of doing something the rest of us wouldn't do, and has paid the price. No matter what he ever he achieves in politics in the future, he will always be seen as 'Sneaky' Sam!

Paul,

I am fully aware of the part of optics, the part of the social media, and the myopia of the left with respect to the indiscretions of their own.

The only reason SHY got away with rorting the taxman is because she was regarded as the parliamentary clown that couldn't manage herself.

Just look at Lambie who got a senate seat even though she is barely literate.

Shadow,

Fortunately or unfortunately whatever the case may be, politician is the least qualified job in Australia, you don't even need a primary school education, you don't even have to be literate, a blithering idiot can get the job, and sometimes do. If our polys had to apply for the position in the normal way, half would not get a look in, and some who get soundly defeated at the polls would be first choice by far. I have seen some very good people, even from the Liberal Party, get defeated and I know they would have been excellent members based on their ability, but ability doesn't count for much at the ballot box.
Jacqui Lambie's best asset is she could be your sister, and Pauline Hanson is the nice lady from the fish n' chip shop. I know you don't like Bill Shorten, and not meny do, I'm not real sweet on him myself, but on a personality bases he is perceived better than Malcolm Turnbull. Put Turbull in a Shorten body and he would be 50 points clear in the polls. Unfortunately for politicians the electable persona is non lasting and fades over time. The biggest exception in my time to that was Bob Menzies, he managed to maintain his kindly grandpa persona for about 20 years.
I have been privileged to have met four PM's in my lifetime. Gough Whitlam came across as arrogant, Malcolm Fraser as snobby, Bob Hawke seemed nasty, but Bill Mcmahon was very nice, the kind of nice old gentleman you would like to be your next door neighbor. Billy would be tops, keeping an eye on the place when you went on hols, and would collect the mail for you as well, maybe even cut the lawn, but as a PM Billy was the worse I have ever experienced, the other three were far better at it.