A former Turnbull minister has been referred to a federal parliamentary committee inquiry on whether he breached conduct rules by accepting a salary from a lobby group while an MP.
It’s been revealed the retired member for Dunkley, Bruce Billson, was receiving a salary from the Franchise Council of Australia while he was a member of the Lower House.
Mr Billson, who was demoted as small business minister when Malcolm Turnbull took over the Liberal leadership in 2015, retired as an MP last year before the federal election.
But he did not notify parliament’s register of interests he was receiving the salary while still an MP.
On Monday, the issue was referred to the Privileges Committee after questions raised by Labor.
The committee will examine whether Mr Billson, by accepting the role as a paid director of the Council while still an MP, gave rise to “any issues that may constitute a contempt of the House or to any issues concerning the appropriate conduct of a Member having regard to their responsibilities to their constituents and to the public interest”.
Manager of opposition business Tony Burke, who made the referral to the committee, has previously questioned whether the conduct “amounted to corruption” and “lobbying for reward”.
“We make no conclusion by carrying this resolution but we do determine that the House will ensure that the matter is examined in the appropriate way by the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests,” he told the House of Representatives.
Mr Billson has apologised for not disclosing it sooner.
"[It] was a discourtesy to the House of Representatives and an administrative failing of my behalf not to lodge a timely formal disclosure statement before the Parliament was prorogued," he told the ABC in a statement.
"I have contacted the Clerk of the House to convey my apologies for this error."
