Dumped Labor MP Sam Dastyari opens up on his regrets over his ‘arrogant’ and ‘foolish’ dealings with China that ended his career
- Former Labour MP Sam Dastyari was slammed by Q&A panellists on Monday
- He admitted that he was ‘arrogant’ in his dealings with Chinese agents
- Comes as Liberal MP Gladys Lui faces scandal over party donations
Dumped Labor MP Sam Dastyari spoke candidly on Q&A on Monday night when his dealings with China came under fire by other panellists.
The former senator admitted he was ‘foolish’ and ‘arrogant’ when he dealt with Chinese agents in a move that ended his political career in 2017.
He became the centre of discussion when an audience member asked why AFP raids on journalists for ‘homeland security’ hadn’t yet been directed at MPs allegedly accepting Chinese donations.
Dumped Labor MP Sam Dastyari spoke candidly on Q&A on Monday night when his dealings with China came under fire by other panellists
‘I take full responsibility. I was young. Arrogant. Foolish. And thought I was smarter than anyone else,’ Dastyari said.
‘I’ve got to this point in my life two years after a momentous scandal – journalists parked in front of your house for weeks, your marriage falls apart, entire life collapsing in front of you – by being able to accept that I am responsible for my own downfall.’
But when the 36-year-old compared his exit from parliament to the current situation facing Liberal MP Gladys Liu, other panellists quickly shot him down.
‘You advised them [Chinese spies] how to avoid detection,’ Liberal MP James Patterson said.
United States China expert John Lee added: ‘I do think that you’re trying to absolve yourself by equating yourself with Gladys Lui.
‘Look at the differences. What’s received personally and to the party. What was given in return.’
Dastyari hit back: ‘I’m getting a lecture from someone who works for the US Study Centre, which is registered as a foreign agent in this country,’ adding that he didn’t appear on the program to ‘play this game of kick Sam’.
The former senator (far left) admitted he was ‘foolish’ and ‘arrogant’ when he dealt with Chinese agents in a move that ended his political career in 2017
Dastyari called for reform with emphasis on private fundraising and donations.
‘The entire culture of donations and fundraising I think has become completely corrupted,’ he said.
‘The system is broken, I am a symbol of the system being broken.’
Ms Lui, a first-term Victorian MP, is under fire over undeclared donations and links to the Chinese Communist Party.