Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has claimed she was in no way aware that a Chinese donor had set up a company called the "Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation".
Bishop was questioned over the company in parliament today by Labor backbencher Matt Keogh, who seemed somewhat incredulous that she didn't know about it:
"Does the Minister seriously expect the house to believe a Liberal donor who she knows well set up a company in the Minister's name, the Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation, but never raised it with her on the many occasions that they met?"
Bishop, however, was emphatic:
"I say that in the solemnity of this Parliament, I have never heard of such a foundation."
The company was set up in April last year by mining magnate Sally Zou, who the 'Advertiser' describes as "one of the Liberal Party’s largest donors".
In the last year, Zou donated $360,000 to the South Australian Liberal Party and $100,000 to the Federal Liberal Party.
The company existed the Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation for nine entire days before it was renamed to the definitely less exciting "Glorious Foundation".
Other than sounding like a North Korea-esque state ruled by Julie Bishop, it's unclear at this stage what exactly the company was or is for.
We can only assume Zou is just a really big fan, I guess.
Source: The Advertiser, ABC.
Photo: Getty Images / Paul Kane.
