It is the regular parliamentary ritual that makes journalists hearts sing and politicians hearts contract – the register of members and senators’ interests.
In a series of uploaded PDF files, many handwritten, the public can discover a member’s assets and interests. A trail of ordinary and extraordinary lives including their homes, their bank accounts, new memberships to little-known and well-known societies and clubs. The Society of Modest Members (Scott Ryan). The Australian Monarchists League (Eric Abetz). How many upgrades in Qantas and Virgin. The odd trip here and there to do the odd event. Personal proclivities, hobbies, worthy causes and gifts.
But this year marks a first with the entry to the Senate declared by Labor’s Malarndirri McCarthy, who took Nova Peris’ seat. McCarthy has declared herself the owner of traditional interests in land in the Northern Territory.
“She is second-generation ‘jungkayi’ (custodian for mother’s country) for Wuyaliya country on Southwest Island (Wurralibi Aboriginal Land Trust). Senator McCarthy is jungkayi for the emu dreaming and country called ngalamja on 7 emus station.”
The rest is far more mundane. We knew that beach volleyball fan Cory Bernardi hitched a ride with fellow beach volleyball tragic Gina Rinehart to an Olympic qualifying event.
We know George Brandis has an extensive “professional library” – he has listed it as an asset above $7,500 in value though we don’t get the book titles. But now we know One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts – a deeply suspicious man – has gold and silver bullion as assets above $7,500 in value. Be prepared. He was also a voluntary project manager at the Galileo Movement. But you already knew that.
During the election the resources minister, Matt Canavan, took charter flights from Charters Towers to Mount Isa, via Cloncurry and a flight from Mount Isa to Cairns, provided by Gulf Coast Group, which reportedly owns cattle stations in Queensland.
The Liberal senator Dean Smith has an interest in a range of interesting shares, such as Latam Autos, as well as a love of Kylie Minogue. He received tickets to her Perth concert as well as Broadway to Oz, the musical starring Hugh Jackman.
The Greens senator Lee Rhiannon has one share in uranium producer Energy Resources Australia. Why? For shareholder activism, she writes across her declaration. Rhiannon also declares a 12.5% tithe of her gross annual salary to the Greens. A senator’s base salary these days is $195,000.
Arthur Sinodinos has no house declared but his spouse and children are beneficiaries in Ixthus Group Trust. Nothing much else to see here.
Labor’s Lisa Singh, resurrected by her strong individual vote after being dropped down the Labor Senate ticket, declared flights and accommodation to India by the Campaign for Tibet for the parliamentary election of Tibetan government in exile.
The special minister of state, Scott Ryan, made a late handwritten entry updating his memberships, as a member of the Society of Modest Members – a group of economic “dries” within the Liberal party. The society includes the assistant treasurer, Kelly O’Dwyer, Dan Tehan and senators Zed Seselja and Dean Smith.
Fallen Labor senator Sam Dastyari declared return airfares and accommodation to Kuala Lumpur from the Malaysian Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth to speak at the Malaysian Progressive Youth Political Education Summit.
Senator Jacqui Lambie is paying back a debt to the Department of Veterans Affairs but, on the brighter side, she has a contract for an autobiography with Allen & Unwin.
The lower-house members’ declarations have yet to be revealed. As do a few missing senators, including Pauline Hanson.
