Anthony Albanese is under pressure to explain why he allowed cabinet ministers to criticise Peter Dutton for attending a fundraiser as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approached landfall when he had also attended one on the same day.
The Opposition Leader was lashed by Labor for leaving his Brisbane electorate to attend a fundraiser at the Sydney harbourside mansion of hospitality billionaire Justin Hemmes on Tuesday March 4.
When asked about Mr Dutton’s priorities, the Prime Minister simply said it was ‘a matter for him’ to explain, telling journalists he was focussed on ‘fulfilling’ his own commitments.
But Employment Minister Murray Watt said Mr Dutton ‘owes Queenslanders an explanation’, as the Labor frontbencher repeatedly accused him of prioritising ‘money bags’ over ‘sandbags’.
Mr Dutton was grilled about the fundraiser this week, insisting it was ‘not a party’ but a fundraising event and accused Labor for using the event as ‘political leverage to push out a negative campaign’.
Now it has emerged that the Prime Minister attended a fundraiser on the same day, after dodging direct questions about it on at least two occasions.
Mr Albanese finally admitted on Friday he had also attended a fundraiser on March 4 before flying to Queensland at 8.30pm.
‘On that day, Peter Dutton flew out of Queensland and I flew in,’ Mr Albanese told Nova.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured) was lashed by Labor for leaving his Brisbane electorate to attend a fundraiser at the Sydney harbourisde mansion of hospitality billionaire Justin Hemmes on Tuesday March 4
He added: ‘I did have a fundraiser during that day.
‘But then flew up, had a meeting with Premier Crisafulli that night and then attended the meeting of the disaster coordination authority that took place the next morning, and then canceled everything else.’
At the joint press conference the following day, Mr Albanese referenced how he had arrived late at night in Queensland.
‘I met with Premier Minns yesterday morning and I travelled to Queensland late yesterday and we had a very late meeting, I’ve got to say, Premier, last night to receive the first briefing,’ Mr Albanese said on the Wednesday morning.
Questions are now being asked about whether Mr Albanese forced Queensland Emergency Services staff to wait until late on the Tuesday night to brief him.
Details about his fundraiser remain unclear. Daily Mail Australia approached the Prime Minister’s office for comment.
The major difference between Mr Albanese and the Liberal leader was that Mr Dutton left Queensland for a night for the fundraiser.
The Opposition Leader began last Tuesday in his northern Brisbane electorate, in the suburb of Kedron, urging residents to start preparing ‘now’ because the cyclone was a ‘very serious event’.
Now it has emerged that the Prime Minister attended a fundraiser on the same day, after dodging direct questions about it on at least two occasions
‘We need to make sure that we listen to the advice, that people prepare, and now is the time to listen to the authorities… about actions that you need to take in terms of preparation in your own yard, around your own business premises, in relation to supplies that you need to provide for you and your family,’ he told locals.
After receiving a Queensland police briefing on the cyclone alongside the state’s Liberal premier David Crisafulli, he flew to Sydney later that morning.
There he reportedly attended a lunch put on by property developer Fouad Deiri, which was held at the home of a Greek Orthodox bishop in Sydney’s south.
A spokesperson for Mr Dutton told media that it ‘was not a fundraising event, it was a luncheon meeting with Antiochian Archdiocese Church representatives and no other political donors were present’.
But news.com.au revealed on Monday that Mr Dutton’s office had previously discussed a potential donation with Mr Deiri.
‘While a potential donation was discussed in February, it was in no way linked to the meeting with His Eminence,’ a spokesperson for the property developer told the publication.
‘The sole purpose of the meeting was for Mr Deiri, who is a board member of the Archdiocese, to introduce Mr Dutton to The Antiochian Orthodox Archbishop.’
That evening, Mr Dutton attended the fundraiser at Mr Hemmes’ $100million harbourside mansion in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Hospitality mogul and Rich Lister Mr Hemmes, 52, is boss of the Merivale Group which owns around 100 pubs, hotels and restaurants across Australia.