Embattled Labor senator Sam Dastyari had a long day in the Senate on Thursday, choking back tears as he delivered an emotional speech.
Mr Dastyari has been under fire since leaked audio emerged of comments he made on the South China Sea, contradicting his previous statements on the matter.
During two separate speeches, Mr Dastyari denied giving intelligence information to Chinese businessman Huang Xiongmo, or being in possession of such information.
Calls from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for Mr Dastyari to leave parliament were echoed by Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi and Liberal senator Eric Abetz.
‘Today is the day they need to shanghai Sam Dastyari out of this place,’ said Mr Bernardi.
Embattled Labor senator Sam Dastyari (pictured) had a long day in the Senate on Thursday, choking back tears as he delivered an emotional speech
Mr Dastyari (pictured) has been under fire since leaked audio emerged of comments he made on the South China Sea, contradicting his previous statements on the matter
‘It’s not strike one, strike two or strike three. He has a repeated pattern of being captured by people that are very, very close to the Chinese government.
‘You don’t have to be Einstein to put two and two together to recognise there is a serious problem.
‘We know that there are politicians, or at least one, who have had personal accounts paid by Chinese billionaires with very close connections to the communist party.’
Mr Abetz went a step further, calling on Labor leader Bill Shorten to remove Mr Dastyari from the party.
‘Clearly there are very serious questions about Senator Dastyari’s integrity and credibility,’ he said.
‘Foreign investment is welcome, but national security has to be paramount.’
Calls from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for Mr Dastyari (pictured) to leave parliament were echoed by Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi and Liberal senator Eric Abetz
Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm said Senator Dastyari’s actions were only a concern if they were in response to political donations.
Senator Leyonhjelm highlighted Chinese influence in stalling negotiations on a free trade agreement with Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.
‘China is very influential in Australia in all sorts of ways,’ he said.
In his first speech Mr Dastyari described the damage his dealings with Chinese political donors has had on his young family.
But the emotion had drained from his voice by the time he was hauled before the Senate again hours later to deliver a second statement.
In his first speech Mr Dastyari (pictured) described the damage his dealings with Chinese political donors has had on his young family
But the emotion had drained from Mr Dastyari’s (pictured) voice by the time he was hauled before the Senate again hours later to deliver a second statement
The excitable Labor senator for NSW usually seeks out the spotlight – but not on Thursday.
Dastyari sat slumped in his Senate chair on Thursday morning as some colleagues huddled around him and those opposite muttered jibes across the chamber.
Standing sullenly after the morning prayers, he tugged at his tie and glared briefly at press gallery photographers working in overdrive above.
‘I rise to make a short statement,’ Dastyari told parliament, which fell to pin-drop silence.
Hours earlier, he was forced to resign from senior party positions – for the second time – over comments made at a June 2016 press conference contradicting Labor policy on the South China Sea.
Dastyari vacated the chamber by the time Attorney-General George Brandis (pictured) said it was ‘pathetically weak’ for Mr Shorten to give him another ‘summer sabbatical’ to overcome his latest embarrassment
Mr Dastyari met with Huang Xiongmo (pictured) at the businessman’s Sydney mansion in October 2016
Dastyari had previously said he had only ‘incorrectly’ mumbled an answer backing Beijing’s controversial policy when asked by Chinese reporters.
The embattled Labor senator was forced to walk the plank again after audio emerged which completely jarred with his characterisation of the press conference.
‘A recent audio recording shocked me, as it did not match my recollection of events,’ Dastyari told the chamber.
‘When a public official makes a statement that contradicts events, there are consequences.’
Those consequences extended to his wife and two children, who had also been thrust into the spotlight.
‘Hannah is now six and has to answer questions in the playground. That breaks the heart of any father,’ Dastyari said through tears.
Sam Dastyari (pictured, far right, with former prime minister Julia Gillard, second right, and Huang Xiongmo, second left) had previously said he had only ‘incorrectly’ mumbled an answer backing Beijing’s controversial policy when asked by Chinese reporters
‘Today is the day they need to shanghai Sam Dastyari out of this place,’ said Mr Bernardi (pictured)
‘I always intend to put the party first and do not want to be a distraction. I will continue to work as I always have done for the people of New South Wales.’
He also denied accusations he leaked intelligence information to Mr Huang.
‘I utterly reject any assertion that I leaked intelligence information to Mr Huang,’ he said.
‘Let me reiterate that I have never been provided intelligence information by any Australian security agency ever.
‘I’ve never passed on intelligence information. I’ve never been in possession of any.’
Dastyari vacated the chamber by the time Attorney-General George Brandis said it was ‘pathetically weak’ for Mr Shorten to give him another ‘summer sabbatical’ to overcome his latest embarrassment.
And he stayed well away as Liberal senator Ian Macdonald accused him of using his children in a ‘coward’s defence’, while One Nation leader Pauline Hanson derided his ‘crocodile tears’.
Outside in the prime minister’s courtyard, Malcolm Turnbull was also going on the attack.
The PM demanded Dastyari leave parliament over what he called ‘disloyal conduct of the highest order’.
Liberal senator Eric Abetz (pictured) called on Labor leader Bill Shorten to remove Mr Dastyari from the party
Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm (pictured) said Senator Dastyari’s actions were only a concern if they were in response to political donations
‘If he refuses to resign, Shorten should dump him from the Labor Party and let him languish in contempt on the crossbench,’ he told reporters.
Many miles away, Bill Shorten was cutting Dastyari adrift, admitting he had lost faith in his beleaguered backbencher.
‘That is why I have sacked him again,’ Shorten said in Adelaide. ‘He has a long, long journey to rebuild trust.’
The Senate later passed a motion forcing Dastyari to return and offer a longer explanation. He fronted up after Question Time but covered little new ground.
And as senators voted against debating his second offering, all that was left for Dastyari to do was tuck the speech under his arm and depart the chamber again.