Page 4661 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 7 December 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Let us have a look at Mr Berry's motion and consider how it may affect other members, not necessarily just of this house but of all other houses in all other places. Earlier this morning, having read this silly motion on the notice paper, I did a little bit of research. "Consider Paul Keating and the piggery", everybody will say. Well, he sold the piggery, but he still has a company called Pleuron and he is a director of Pleuron. Do we expect the Prime Minister to give away his directorship of Pleuron? Of course not. Stephen Loosley writes a column in the Sunday Telegraph for money. What about Alan Griffiths? Do we all remember the sandwich shop that went broke? The president of the Liquor and Allied Trades Union, John Morris, was a senator. Does this mean that no Labor member can hold a union position, or union membership perhaps, Mr Berry? Con Sciacca still has a stake in a legal practice. Phil Cleary, the Independent member, writes for a newspaper and is paid for his radio talkback segment. Andrew Theophanous derives substantial income from rental properties. One wonders whether any members of this place get substantial incomes from rental properties. One wonders, notwithstanding what side of the house they are on, whether that means that they all sell those properties and get rid of all that income?
Mr Berry: No.
MR DE DOMENICO: Mr Berry says no. This is what your silly motion would make them do, Mr Berry. As Mr Kaine quite adequately indicated, what if you win a seat in this place and you are a farmer? Do you sell the farm? Do you sack all your staff just because you can come in here and work another 100 hours a week on top of what you might or might not do in your spare time? What utter simplistic nonsense! Then again, when it comes from Mr Berry, is there any wonder?
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General and Minister for Health) (11.10): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was interested in Mr De Domenico's tirade about silliness and stupidity. I think they are harsh words to use against Prime Minister John Major, although he is a conservative and a man whom one would generally disagree with. The reality of this sort of concept is that opinions have changed. One hundred years ago parliaments were gentlemen's clubs and everyone was expected to have outside business interests. Now it is expected that we have full-time politicians who will devote themselves to their duties. In the British House of Commons the Prime Minister has stated that action needs to be taken in relation to the practice that has developed there and that is being proved in British courts - that members offer themselves as consultants to get questions up in question time. This issue of restricting outside business interests of members of parliament is a live issue which is being addressed in Britain.
In the United States for some decades it has been accepted practice that members of the executive government put all their business affairs in blind trusts for the duration of being in office. I accept that that has not yet been extended to the legislative branch. It is notorious that senators are virtually all millionaires. If they are not when they become senators, they seem rapidly to become so while they are senators.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .