Bill Shorten must answer serious questions over what deals were done with former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari as part of a $200 million pathology election announcement.
The Daily Telegraph’s ‘Blood Money’ story has exposed the close links between Sam Dastyari and a major private equity firm which would benefit from the funding.
Private equity firm, Crescent Capital is the owner of the Australian Clinical Labs to which Mr Dastyari is a lobbyist. Crescent Capital has donated over $115,000 to the Labor Party in the past two years.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has criticised the pathology funding in a sector which already has 99.4 per cent bulk billing for GP referred services.
It’s described the funding as absolutely unnecessary.
Mr Shorten must then answer:
- Who has Dastyari met with on your staff and is your pathology pledge a payoff to the firm who donated over $115,000 to Labor in the past two years?
- Doesn’t this policy just line the pockets of the big end of town with the Dastyari?
- What involvement has there been between campaign the savepathology campaign now being run by Australian Clinical Labs and the Labor Party?
Health policy should be based on the needs of patients.
The question in this case is whether Sam Dastyari and his private equity firm have taken priority in determining Labor’s health policy.