Minister assures Gladys Liu is now 'double-checking' her associations

Federal Liberal frontbencher Stuart Robert is certain his embattled colleague Gladys Liu is double-checking all donations and past organisations she had been involved with.

Liberal member for Chisholm Gladys Liu.

Liberal member for Chisholm Gladys Liu. Source: AAP

Federal government frontbencher Stuart Robert is satisfied with the declarations his Liberal colleague Gladys Liu has made as a member of parliament.

But he says the embattled MP is double-checking both the donations she has helped to raise for the party and her previous associations prior to getting elected to the Victorian seat of Chisholm in May.

Ms Liu is under fire over donations for the Liberal Party which have been put at $1 million, and possible previous links to the Chinese Communist Party.

Government Services Minister Stuart Robert.
Government Services Minister Stuart Robert. Source: AAP


"The issue isn't the quantum, the issue is the declaration. Transparency is important in our democracy," Mr Robert told Sky News on Sunday in reference to the $1 million of donations.

He said Ms Liu is double-checking her donations declarations.

"I'm satisfied that she is going through her associations, she's double-checking that to ensure that they are declared or that she removed herself from them," he said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) and Australian Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (right) sit next to Liberal member for Chisholm Gladys Liu.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) and Australian Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (right) sit next to Liberal member for Chisholm Gladys Liu. Source: AAP


"So I'm highly satisfied with what she has done."

However, federal Labor and other opposition parties are unlikely to let Ms Liu off the hook when parliament sits this week.

Senior Labor frontbencher Mark Butler says Prime Minister Scott Morrison should be encouraging Ms Liu to answer all the questions that have been raised in the past week.

Shadow Minister For Climate Change and Energy Mark Butler.
Shadow Minister For Climate Change and Energy Mark Butler. Source: AAP


"This matter should be dealt with promptly," Mr Butler told the ABC's Insiders program.

Mr Morrison has described such scrutiny as having "grubby undertones" which has been interpreted as meaning racist.



"The idea that these questions that have been raised by every media organisation in the country and have been pursued in the parliament by (Labor's) Penny Wong and Mark Dreyfus are motivated by race is utterly absurd," Mr Butler said.


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2 min read
Published 15 September 2019 10:00am
Updated 15 September 2019 8:51pm


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