In the weeks since Malcolm Turnbull dropped this double-d bomb of an election on us all, Greens leader Richard Di Natale has mostly dodged the fallout. As Labor and the Liberals have been at each other’s throats, Di Natale and his party have engaged in a few targeted skirmishes, most notably by marking their territory on penalty rate protections against Labor.
Welp, the issue of fair pay might just be the weapon used against Di Natale, ’cause The Age just revealed his family paid au pairs $150 a week in 2012; adjusted to the typical 40-hour work week, that ends up at $3.75 an hour. A full $12.21 an hour under minimum wage at the time.
However, the scrutiny on the wages paid Di Natale and his wife Lucy Quarterman might even pale in comparison to the shitstorm the Greens leader may be facing over undeclared property.
The Age also intimated the very same farm that required au pairs was also undeclared to parliament for fifteen months, which could result in some very, very serious consequences for Di Natale, including censure in the Senate.
He said “I think he’s got some serious answers to give and so far the explanation he’s given falls well short”.
“I can definitely say that I haven’t purchased a $2.3 million property – I reckon I would have remembered that.”“I don’t think I’ve purchased anything in that ball park and I reckon if I did there’d be a good chance it’d find its way onto my register of interests.”
Feeney forgotten house is voting green! I??Northcote #ausvotes @latikambourke pic.twitter.com/p3zqXeL35X
— Georgina McClements (@mcclementsg) May 18, 2016
Phew. There’s a heap going on here, and Di Natale’s spokesperson again justified the 15-month omission (ownership was fully transferred to Quarterman’s name in 2012, FYI) by saying the farm had been listed as a business interest (but not a residence / property) for as long as, well, it had been a business interest in regards to his parliamentary career.
Folks, disappointing beat-up. I declared the farm in 2 different ways since I was elected & au pairs were of course paid above min wage.
— Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) May 19, 2016
Regardless, Di Natale and the Greens might no longer have the luxury of picking their battles in this election – now, those battles might just be chosen for them.
Source: The Age.
Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty.