Sam Dastyari | |
|---|---|
 Dastyari at theSydney Mardi Gras in 2014 | |
| Senator forNew South Wales | |
| In office 21 August 2013 – 25 January 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Matt Thistlethwaite |
| Succeeded by | Kristina Keneally |
| General Secretary of theNew South Wales Labor Party | |
| In office 17 July 2010 – 21 August 2013 | |
| Leader | Kristina Keneally John Robertson |
| Preceded by | Matt Thistlethwaite |
| Succeeded by | Jamie Clements |
| Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate | |
| In office 3 February 2017 – 30 November 2017 | |
| Leader | Penny Wong |
| Chief Whip | Anne Urquhart |
| Preceded by | Catryna Bilyk |
| Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate | |
| In office 23 July 2016 – 7 September 2016 | |
| Deputy | Katy Gallagher |
| Leader | Penny Wong |
| Preceded by | Claire Moore |
| Succeeded by | Katy Gallagher |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sahand Dastyari (1983-07-28)28 July 1983 (age 42) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Party | Labor |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Russell Lea,New South Wales,Australia |
| Education | Baulkham Hills High School |
| Alma mater | Macquarie University |
| [1][2][3][4] | |
Sam Dastyari (born 28 July 1983) is an Australian former politician, who from 2013 to 2018 representedNew South Wales in theAustralian Senate as a member of theAustralian Labor Party. Dastyari was previously General Secretary of the New South Wales branch of the Labor Party.[5] He was the first person ofIranian origin and Azerbaijani descent to sit in theAustralian Parliament.[6] As a Senator, Dastyari was the subject of aChinese-relateddonationsscandal, which eventually led to his resignation from the Senate on 25 January 2018.[7]
Born inSari,Mazandaran Province,Iran[3] to anethnic Azerbaijani father andMazanderani mother, Dastyari arrived in Australia at age four in January 1988.[8] His parents were student activists in the1979 Iranian revolution.[2]
Dastyari attended John Purchase Public School inCherrybrook, joined the Australian Labor Party at age sixteen[9] and was vice-captain atBaulkham Hills High School.[10] Dastyari dropped out of aBachelor of Economics /Bachelor of Laws course at theUniversity of Sydney[4] due to being "so caught up in the movement and student politics".[4] He went on to become President ofAustralian Young Labor[3] and later studied part-time atMacquarie University, graduating with aBachelor of Arts majoring in politics.[4]
In March 2010, Dastyari was elected as General Secretary of NSW Labor with the support of theTransport Workers' Union (TWU), theElectrical Trades Union (ETU), and theAustralian Workers Union (AWU).[2]
On 21 August 2013, a joint sitting of theParliament of New South Wales appointed Dastyari to the Senate seat vacated byMatt Thistlethwaite, who had resigned to contest a House of Representatives seat at the2013 federal election.[11]
Dastyari was an Iranian citizen at birth. He previously applied to renounce Iranian citizenship in order to take the "reasonable steps" required to comply withsection 44 of the Constitution of Australia. Dastyari did not complete the compulsory military service required to renounce citizenship under Iranian law, but stated that the Iranian government's issuance of a tourist visa to him acknowledged that he was no longer an Iranian citizen.[12][13]
In October 2015, the retirements ofBernie Ripoll andJan McLucas from the shadow ministry caused a reshuffle, and Dastyari became Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Youth.
After Labor's defeat at the2016 election, Dastyari was promoted to the shadow outer ministry becomingManager of Opposition Business in the Senate, and spokesman for consumer affairs. Dastyari resigned from the positions following a scandal over payments and gifts from Chinese companies.[14][15] He was later appointedDeputy Opposition Whip in the Senate. Dastyari formally submitted his resignation from the Senate on 25 January 2018.[7]
In November 2014, Dastyari declared that a Chinese company with links to the Chinese government had provided him with $44,000 to settle his legal bills. In October 2015, Dastyari asked a Chinese private education provider with links to the Chinese government to pay a travel bill of $1,670. He declared both payments appropriately.[16][17]
Dastyari spoke at Chinese-language press conferences and was at odds with the Australian government's policy on theSouth China Sea.Malcolm Turnbull, then Prime Minister, accused him of accepting money in exchange for supporting China in itsSouth China Sea territorial disputes.[18] The uproar over Dastyari's actions was seen byThe Economist as a sign of the changing mood among Australians regardingChinese investment.[19] Initially, Dastyari attempted to defuse the situation by offering the money he had received to a charity; however, the charity refused to accept the donation. As a result of this controversy, on 7 September 2016 Dastyari resigned from his shadow frontbench position asManager of Opposition Business and spokesman for consumer affairs, and returned to the backbench.[14]
In 2017, following reports that Dastyari contradicted Labor's policy on theSouth China Sea territorial dispute and offered counter-surveillance advice to the Chinese donor in question,Huang Xiangmo, he was removed from his roles as Senate Deputy Opposition Whip and Senate Committee chair.[20] Media reports also stated that Dastyari had told the donor, Huang Xiangmo, that his phones were likely being tapped by intelligence agencies and that they should leave their phones inside and speak outside to avoid being overheard.[21] Party leaderBill Shorten stripped Dastyari of his role as Deputy Opposition Whip the next day, amid calls from Prime Minister Turnbull andthe Government for Dastyari to stand down from the Senate.[20] In December 2017, reports emerged that in 2015 he attempted to persuade Labor's foreign affairs spokesperson,Tanya Plibersek, to cancel a meeting with a member ofHong Kong'spro-democracy camp.[22]
On 12 December 2017, Dastyari announced that he would resign from the Senate prior to the 2018 parliamentary year.[23] His decision not to resign with immediate effect attracted some criticism, partly because it would allow him to continue earning a Senator's salary.[24] He formally submitted his resignation to thePresident of the Senate on 25 January 2018.[7]
Ross Babbage, former head of strategic analysis at theOffice of National Assessments, described Dastyari as an "agent of influence" and part of China's aim to build local support for its policy positions around the world.[25] As a result of the scandal, Dastyari was the subject of petitions with thousands of signatures calling for him to be charged with treason.[25]
Post his political career, in 2019 Dastyari appeared before theNSW Independent Commission Against Corruption public inquiry into allegations concerning political donations, the NSW Branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), members of Chinese Friends of Labor and others. Dastyari testified that in September 2016 he provided advice toKaila Murnain, at the time an Assistant Secretary of NSW Labor, to seek the advice of Labor's lawyers following disclosure that NSW Labor received potentially unlawful donations in 2015 and potential fundraising misconduct.[26][27][28]
In 2014, Dastyari called fora royal commission into the banking and financial services sector.[29] A number of scandals involving some companies increased pressure on the Federal Government to establish a royal commission with Labor promising to establish a royal commission should it win the 2016 federal election.[30]
As Chair of the Senate Economics Committee, Dastyari instigated the inquiries into financial practices, and led questioning of the big four banks regarding a string of financial advice scandals.[31] He continued to push for a more substantial royal commission and vigorously pursued the banks when in office. He worked withSenate crossbenchers in 2017 to establish a powerful Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into Australia's big banks, putting more pressure on the Federal Government to establish a royal commission.[32] The Royal Commission into Misconduct in theBanking,Superannuation and Financial Services Industry was established in December 2017 after years of public pressure.[33]
On the issue of multinationaltax avoidance, Dastyari led an inquiry in 2015 to examine whether some companies were running an international tax avoidance structure. He called for the Federal Government to do more to counter corporate tax avoidance.[34] Dastyari made a video starring his kids to explain tax avoidance using the currency of lollies.[35]
In 2012, at a dinner to promotemulticulturalism and "bring Muslims and others together to learn and understand each other's culture and religious significance", Dastyari said "Labor core values are similar to Islamic social value such as equal justice and respect for everyone".[36]
In 2016, Dastyari claimed that ten companies wield the most incredible amount of power in Australia to an extent that stifles proper democratic and economic progress.[37][38]
In March 2018, Dastyari passed a two-show trial to join aKIIS 106.5 Sydney breakfast radio show once a fortnight on a segment known asGutter Politics.[39] In November 2018, Dastyari replacedOvernight talk show host Luke Bona onTriple M for two weeks.[40]
Dastyari participated in thefifth season of reality programI'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here![41]
Dastyari identifies as a "non-practising Muslim".[42] He and wife Helen lived in theSydney suburb ofRussell Lea with their two daughters.[1] In January 2019 he announced that he and his wife had separated.[43]
Dastyari is a member of the"Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society"[44][45] Facebook Group although he has publicly stated that "somehalal certifiers are nothing more than scammers".[46] He made news by inviting One Nation's leaderPauline Hanson to join him for a Halal Snack Pack, an invitation she declined.
| Parliament of Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate 2016–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | General Secretary of the NSW Labor Party 2010–2013 | Succeeded by Jamie Clements |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |