Sam Dastyari

 

Labor Senator Sam Dastyari pledged to respect China's position on the South China Sea at an election campaign press conference he held with a Chinese political donor who had previously paid his legal bills.

He has also urged Australia to drop its opposition to China's air defence zone in the contested region.

The comments, reported in the Chinese media, conflict with Labor's official position on the issue which is that Australia should oppose China's stance and authorise our navy and airforce to conduct freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea.

http://www.afr.com/news/sam-dastyari-pledges-to-support-china-on-south-china-sea-beside-labor-donor-20160831-gr5mwk

 

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JUDITH SLOAN

 

Follow the money to find paths of union influence

 

 

The topic of political donations has been in the news lately following the revelation Labor senator Sam Dastyari had accepted a payment from a company with connections to the Chinese govern­ment to cover a travel bill. It is widely accepted these sorts of companies make such payments only in return for favours and information. It’s a deal. The same link is assumed to apply to donations made by all companies to politicians and political parties — the money is handed over to reap something in return.

But here’s the strange thing. When the trade unions hand over millions of dollars to the Labor Party (and now to the Greens and selected independent candidates), the intimate link between money and reward is largely ignored by journalists and commentators. If anything, this flow of money is seen as benign, a simple reflection of the symbiotic relationship between the Labor Party and the trade union movement. (Some of us would say the Labor Party is ­a wholly owned subsidiary of the union movement.) Nothing inappropriate or undemocratic is detected in these ­arrangements.

The brutal reality is union donations to Labor purchase favours in a similar way to other donations, although union gifts are generally more effective at getting the job done. And because of the scale of the donations and the lopsided ­nature of them — most companies will generally give money to both sides of politics, although not ­always in equal measure — the pay-offs are substantial even when Labor is not in office.

No one should kid themselves that the political actions demanded by the union movement as part of the quid pro quo are under­taken in the national interest. The aim is to foster narrow sectional interests; don’t forget trade union members make up only 11 per cent of the workforce.

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/judith-sloan/follow-the-money-to-find-paths-of-union-influence/news-story/010a6ab20b6cf86b5fbbdebb93f3e3cd

I wonder how many union members who are notLlabor supports resent giving these large "donations" to the Labor Party.

No less equivalent to shareholders in companies who vote differently to the donation choices of the company.

Pepe - I am forced to use banks. They make politicial doantions, much more generously to the Libs, for obvious reasons.

I don't approve of that.

Watching Sam on the 7-30 Report AND Barnaby --same program -- they were both pitiful and NEVER answered the ----- ing question they just keep talking over to use up the time allowed -- sack the ----ing lot I say

Now that you mention that Pepe you are right he does look a bit like Bean

I could not put my finger on it but Dastyari reminded me of someone...now I know....Mr Bean!

Someone on Channel 9 said it and he was spot on...he does look like him.

 

At age 27 Dastyari was rewarded with one of the most powerful positions in the ALP: NSW secretary-general of the party. It was a position previously held by Richo, Della Bosca, Eric Roozendal and Mark Arbib.

He was then endorsed unanimously for the Senate, a seat he took in 2013, followed by promotions up Shorten’s shadow ministry.

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/sam-dastyari-former-labor-star-talks-his-way-to-the-status-of-a-nobody-20160906-gra2x4.html

 

I think Bill’s decision to keep him on the front bench is a bad one, he’s proved he can't be trusted and he should cut him loose and put him on the back bench.

 

 

Toot, quite odd that Shorten is trying to play down his role saying he is just a junior minister.

I saw Leigh Sales trying to get Dastyari to say why he contacted the company to pay his $1600...he avoided answering that like the plague.

Shorten needs to cut him loose;  it is making Shorten look weak... in trying to defend the indefensible.  Maybe there is some other reason he is letting him stay??

Yes Rad, it's not as though he needs the money, he makes $199,000 a year, plus a $90,000 travel allowance.  

Just another greedy politician ... but guess he must have thought it was his entitlement seeing he scored $40,000 for personnal use from the Chinese company whilst he was in NSW.

Ban ALL political donations.

Good idea, but realistically, it will never happen.

It's the rule in other countries.

Banning foreign donations is probably not achievable on its own.

We would have to draw a line. Is it OK for the Australian subsidiary of an American comany to donate? Think Ford, Holden, Kelloggs, Kraft.

A Japanese company? NEC, Mitsubishi, Mazda?

A Chinese comany? Great Wall. Virign Oz is 40% Chinese owned. Is it OK for Virgin to donate?

Where do we draw the line?

fallen on his sword...he had no alternative.  It was not a political donation it was a payment of a personal debt and not the first one either.

 

.... lol lol - good riddance to the bad (old)   but  'young' rubbish!  What a total wanker! lol lol lol .... ugly as well ............... ugh what a "Nasty Dasty"   ..........   :-) 

I agree.

Well, I agree that his departue seems a good thing. Not sure whether he's ugly, nor whether that matters.

He hasn't actually resigned as a Senator has he? The reports I read he has only resigned from the front Bench of the Senate which would mean he is just swapping with another Labour back- bencher. He will remain in parliament.

 

That's how I read it too Vivity. 

Resigning as a Senator wouldn't mean much. He would just be replaced by another Labor person. That's the convention.

But losing his front bench position might teach him a thing or two.

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