By almost any measure the 47th parliament is the most diverse ever and the same seems true judging by the weird and wonderful collection of interests parliamentarians have declared.
The register of interests is designed to provide transparency around interests that may conflict, or may be seen to conflict, with MPs’ and senators’ public duty.
But it also provides a window into the world of our 227 elected leaders, their hobbies, passions and side hustles. Here’s what we found while peering in.
Rare metals, racehorses and cryptocurrency
The new Labor MP for Hunter, Dan Repacholi, declared a racehorse, while Dan Tehan, former trade and tourism minister, declared “part ownership of racehorse and occasional earnings from racehorse”.
Senator Marise Payne, former foreign minister, in a handwritten note on her register, declared a “percentage share in registered racehorse” – but noted it is “retired”.
Nationals MP Keith Pitt, could probably win a race in his vintage car, a 1954 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Mark 1.
Liberal MP Luke Howarth declared cryptocurrency – it must be worth more than $7,500 but it’s a bear market, so check back in a week.
For those with more traditional tastes, on 3 August MP Bert van Manen added “gold and silver bullion” to his register; Malcolm Roberts did the same on 22 August. Nationals MP Andrew Gee was more understated, declaring “precious metal”.
Side hustles
The register reveals a fascinating array of side hustles.
The new Labor MP for Hasluck, Tania Lawrence, is a shareholder and director of Beelu Forest Distilling Company that makes “finely hand crafted shochu/soju, vodka, gin”.
The new Labor MP for Bennelong, Jeremy Laxale, is a shareholder in Laxale’s Hair and Beauty Supplies.
As well as his racehorse, former Olympian Repacholi is a director of DNA Operations Australia, trading as Dan Repacholi Projectiles, selling bullets. He gave the following testimonial on its website:
“I have been competitively shooting since 1994 … making my Olympic debut in 2004 in Athens, I also won Bronze at a World Cup in 50m Pistol in the same year. Following on from this I competed at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games winning Gold in 50m Pistol and Bronze in 10m Air Pistol … Shooting has been a huge part of my life and it only seems fitting to start this business.”
He has no shares in the projectile business, but the shadow defence minister, Andrew Hastie, declared he is a firearms licence holder (category A & B).
United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet, is still listed as director of the Babet Brothers real estate agency (alongside brother Matt). This week, the business’ Facebook page posted images and contact details for Babet, advertising one of their listed homes in Victoria. The page says the brothers “live and breathe real estate, it’s not just a job, it is an obsession”.
Country Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price declared “N/A” to every single category on the Senate register of interests, except one – disclosing income from “AAPRA [sic]” for “writer and performance royalties”.
One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts disclosed his directorship of Conscious Pty Ltd, which operates in the space of “Leadership, Management & Environmental consulting and productivity improvement”. On its website, the business said it deals in “knowledge & understanding of climate science and corruption giving people reassurance and ease about our planet”, and lists Roberts as its “Principal and co-founder”.
Stuart Robert turns lights out on blind trust
The shadow assistant treasurer, Stuart Robert, who came under scrutiny last term for his blind trust updated on 23 August that “the blind trust has been dissolved and any shares [and investments] not specifically listed in this declaration had been sold or dispensed with”.
Robert still declared a shareholding in RQ Supplements, which sells weight-loss, muscle-building and “immune boosting” supplements online.
Katter’s cattle
The father of the lower house, Kennedy MP Bob Katter, has given an entertaining (if not entirely informative) list of interests.
In the section where his spouse’s shares must be disclosed, Katter writes: “she does not provide me with this information – regards this as personal business and I respect her wishes in these matters”. Under a section for bank loans, he adds: “I assume that my wife has property loans.”
Under his list of trusts and nominee companies, Katter says “I may have some interest in cattle operations in the gulf”, then in handwritten addition, “I own 100 heifers in Cape York”; another section notes “some members of my family have interests in cattle”.
Womboks
Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather, poked fun at the rising cost of living (and the $7,500 threshold for disclosure) by noting his “six very valuable womboks” and 2005 Yaris were below the threshold:
Doing my Register of Interests the other week and was sad to see my 2005 Toyota Yaris didn't qualify as my only asset (apart from savings account) as it fell below the $7500 threshold and personal vehicles don't count. Nor my 6 very valuable womboks in our garden.
— Max Chandler-Mather (@MChandlerMather) August 16, 2022
The Yaris, which I swear by and refer to as the “Canberra chariot”, had some issues before Chandler-Mather declared it back from the dead.
BREAKING: Register of Interests update. I’m down to 6 womboks.
— Max Chandler-Mather (@MChandlerMather) August 22, 2022
My trusty 2007 Toyota Yaris (Bonesy) that got me to many a door-knock has finally called it in today.☹️ pic.twitter.com/J9GcCijqAB
BONESY UPDATE: Good news! Turns out it was just a broken starter motor and a dodgy engine. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers! Bonesy's all fixed up and lives to fight another day. pic.twitter.com/BoBuLrduon
— Max Chandler-Mather (@MChandlerMather) August 24, 2022
