Sam Dastyari steps down amid Chinese expenses row

Labor senator Sam Dastyari has been forced to quit the frontbench after Opposition Leader Bill Shorten decided his position was untenable.

Dastyari was the Opposition’s for consumer affairs spokesperson and manager of opposition business in the Senate.

Last week it emerged that Mr Dastyari had asked a company called Top Education to pay a $1,670.82 personal expenses bill for him, amid other payments, including legal fees.

Senior government minister Christopher Pyne has lashed out at suggestions the company at the centre of the Sam Dastyari scandal received preferential treatment after donating to the Liberal Party.

Dastyari’s political opponents say he broke political donation rules.

Labor has signalled it would support a ban on foreign donations, continuous disclosure of donations, lower thresholds at which donations are publicly declared, an end to donation splitting and an increase in public funding.

“I made a mistake and I’m paying the price for that mistake”.

The Senator said no donors had asked for anything in exchange for the funds, but despite repeated questioning, he has not explained why he made a decision to ask Top Education to cover his bill. “I have every confidence in many and most of my parliamentary colleagues who really have very good integrity”.

Then in an awkward press conference later on Tuesday Senator Dastyari said he had not offered to step down, he had made a mistake and he was sorry.

“It’s an indictment on Bill Shorten’s lack of leadership, lack of courage”.

“It’s the measure of the man that he can stand up, admit he got it wrong and accept the consequences”, Mr Shorten said in a statement. “He is a bright young bloke, with a lot of passion and a lot of ideas to offer Australia and I’m sure that in the future he will come back”.

“I’m confident he will continue to make a strong contribution to my team”.

The Government is continuing its attacks on the Opposition in the wake of Senator Dastyari’s resignation, accusing Opposition Leader Bill Shorten of failing to act against the former frontbencher and being prepared to tolerate his activities.

South Australian senator Nick Xenophon said Senator Dastyari had done the right thing by resigning.

“The Chinese sometimes [make] donations just because they just want to be friendly, they want to show some appreciation, and want to give them a gift, want to be acknowledged”, she told ABC radio on Tuesday evening.

Treasurer Scott Morrison said the issue of donation reform was a matter for the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and the Special Minister of State.

“Who’ve would’ve thought that Sam Dastyari had higher standards than Bill Shorten”, he said.

Dastyari didn’t take any questions. He will remain in parliament.

“He has a prospect, while he remains in the Senate, of coming back”.

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