On the ABC’s flagship current affairs program last night, Attorney-General George Brandis said he had “no knowledge at all” about issues with Bob Day’s electorate office until Special Minister of State Scott Ryan alerted him to the matter after the election.
But as we reported yesterday, the Department of Finance warned former special minister of state Michael Ronaldson about the problems with the lease as early as the start of 2014.
The emails and documents released in response to a freedom of information request in May and reported by Crikey at the time took on new life this week after the government indicated it would seek for the Senate to refer the matter to the High Court. While not directly raising constitutional issues of the government paying rent for office space Day owned, Finance did mention problems with the whole arrangement.
From a February 2014 ministerial submission:
Instead, Ronaldson ignored Finance’s concerns and told Day in March 2014 that he would consider Day’s request for the Kent Town offices provided that the office met Commonwealth standards, and the government wasn’t charged rent until the lease on the Gilles Street premises vacated by outgoing senator Don Farrell was up in August this year.
From the May 2014 Ministerial and Parliamentary Services Management Team Meeting:
In a May 2014 ministerial submission where issues arose over Day’s office for Kent Town needing to be split over two floors rather than one floor as originally planned, Finance again highlighted that the Gilles Street office was just there and ready to go.
But Ronaldson did not agree to Finance’s push for Day to move to Gilles Street, even in the interim while his office was made ready.
This is unlikely to be the last cache of files from the negotiations between the government and Day over the lease. More documents are likely to be released around the negotiations and issues raised by the department over Day’s lease as the case goes to the High Court.
It is always hard to tell if Brandis is telling porkies or he is just not interested enough to make an effort to take notice. Hopefully the latter I suppose, although we do pay him a lot for the (lack of) effort.
If he is found to be ineligible to be a Senator, would that be from just July this year, or from when he served as Senator from 2014?
And does that have any effect on legislation which he has voted on as a Senator?
Symbiosis 101 :- the Limited News Party, your Laburnum (check for poisoning symptoms) – providing rhizobium Day with his own root nodule.
With a man as unaware & self deluding as Brandarse, the concept of truth or accuracy do not puncture his immense complacency.
Poor Bob.
With his “House of Stix Propriety Limited(?)” building company – frustrated member of the Liberal Party, having to jump on another party to piggy-back to Canberra – all he wanted to do was get to Canberra to curb the excesses of these awful, self-serving, amoral building unions?
Hmm, perhaps ‘House of Styx’ is more appropriate?
He does resemble those on tuther side of that dire river – always clamouring and willing to prophesise or pontificate to the living for a taste of their blood.