In September,Mr Porter revealed part of his legal fees for the defamation action he took against the ABC had beenpaid from “a blind trust known as the Legal Services Trust”. He has not confirmed if he knows who contributed to the trust. Mr Porter resigned from cabinet after Mr Morrison sought advice over whether the move breached ministerial standards.
Senator Waters asked the privileges committee shortly after these events to compel Mr Porter to identify donors to the trust.
On Wednesday evening,Speaker Tony Smith reported to the house hebelieved it was reasonable for the privileges committee to examine Mr Porter’s declaration. However,in an unprecedented move,the government voted down a formal motion for Parliament to ask the committee to examine the matter.
Mr Smith’s ruling did not cast judgment on Mr Porter’s actions,only determined the matter deserved further investigation.
Mr Dutton reinforced this point to MPs on Thursday morning to reassure those angry over the events,party sources speaking on condition of anonymity said. Many MPs are finding themselves repeatedly attacked on social media and having calls to their offices over the issue.
The minister told them the whole matter of trusts and donations was being looked at but also acknowledged legal expenses were an issue.
Mr Dutton iscurrently pursuing a defamation action and told MPs he expected the case would cost him between $150,000 and $200,000 – money he would miss but was lucky to afford.
The privileges committee met after the vote was held on Wednesday,having received the letters of referral.
It will report back to Parliament and can make a finding on whether there has been a breach of the rules. If there has,it can recommend punishments ranging from a censure motion to suspending the MP from Parliament.
Members of the committee are not permitted to speak publicly about its private deliberations.
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Mr Whealy said it was important the donors be brought to light to maintain Parliament’s integrity.
It was likely in Mr Porter’s case that large sums of money were involved and “there’s every reason to suppose that there are some big donors involved”,he said.
“It’s the potential conflict of interest that must be revealed. Once we see that,we may say to ourselves no there’s no conflict of interest,” he said.
“But if it’s kept from us,as he is doing,then we can never be sure about that and we lose confidence in the political process and politicians as a result.”
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said he thought the standard of integrity in Parliament had declined since he left politics and he was convinced of the need for a federal anti-corruption watchdog.
“There is a culture of entitlement,there’s a culture of non-accountability. I am really deeply troubled by it,” he told ABC Melbourne.
Mr Porter was contacted for comment but did not respond.