A Labor MP accepted an Oroton bag and chocolates from a constituent after making representations to the government on his behalf.
Anne Stanley, member for Werriwa in south-west Sydney, declared the donation, valued at $420, on Friday, April 12.
She said in her statement that the gift was “from a constituent after (making) representations on his behalf.”
Ms Stanley, a local member since 2016, did not state what exactly she did with the chocolates or the bag.
A little-known MP accepted an Oroton bag from a constituent after making representations to senior politicians on his behalf.
Ms Stanley is the Labor MP for Werriwa, in Sydney’s south-west.
The gesture was denounced by the OpenPoliticsAU blog, run by former ministerial official Sean Johnson.
“Holy shit,” they tweeted. “This is inappropriate.”
Ms Stanley, a local member for the seat once held by Labor Party leaders Gough Whitlam and Mark Latham, told WhatsNew2Day Australia on Monday that “all statements have been made in accordance with parliamentary rules and requirements”.
It is common practice for MPs to make representations to ministers and government departments about the situation of constituents, to help navigate Centrelink or Medicare.
Since Stanley was elected in 2016, she has spoken in parliament about the rising cost of living and how hard the crisis is for her constituents.
He also recently spoke openly about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, condemning the “heartbreaking… level of destruction we are seeing in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
Children are dying of malnutrition. “This is unacceptable,” he said in March.
‘More children have died in Gaza in the last five months than in all the world’s conflicts in the last four years. Gaza has now become the most dangerous place in the world for children.’
Ms Stanley called on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid “at a minimum” and advocated for a “durable two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state”.
Anne Stanley, Labor member for Werriwa in south-west Sydney, declared the donation, valued at $420, on Friday, April 12.
On its official website, it offers voters an idea of how it can and cannot help them navigate a variety of government services.
On immigration, Ms Stanley said her office can provide clarity on how to understand the visa process and check with the Department of Home Affairs on the progress of a visa application.
But she will not “write letters of support, recommend which visa to apply for, help apply for the visa, expedite the application, or provide legal advice.”
It also provides support to Services Australia and is committed to helping constituents understand Centrelink, Medicare or Child Support services and tracking the progress of applications.
As in the immigration case, he ruled out asking for an application to be processed faster or for applications to be completed on behalf of voters.