20th Oct 2021, 5:08 PM – Representatives Committees — Privileges and Members' Interests Committee; Reference

Motion Text

Mr. Tony Burke (Labor), Member for Watson, moved:

"That the following matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests:

1. whether the conduct of the Member for Pearce, by refusing to disclose on the Register of Members' Interests the identities of individual donors to a Trust used to pay his private legal fees, has failed to properly register an interest where a conflict of interest with his public duties could foreseeably arise or be seen to arise, and in doing so created a precedent which threatens the integrity of the Register of Members' Interests;

2. whether the Member for Pearce has knowingly provided false or misleading information to the Registrar of Members' Interests;

3. whether this constitutes a contempt of the House; and

4. whether paragraph 2(k) of the House Resolution on the Registration of Members' Interests requires Members to provide reasonable identifying details of the sources of gifts that meet the relevant thresholds."

Question before the House: That the motion be disagreed to.

Outcome

The majority voted in favour of disagreeing with Mr. Burke's motion, so it failed. If the motion had been passed, it would have referred Mr. Christian Porter (Liberal), Member for Pearce, to the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests, to investigate his use of money from a blind trust to fund his legal fees.