PATERSON MP Meryl Swanson says she has nothing to hide about a recent parliamentary trip to the United States that was funded by the lobbying business run by former Liberal defence minister Christopher Pyne.
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The funding source for the trip was raised on Twitter by Hunter human rights lawyer Kellie Tranter, who told the Newcastle Herald she was "strenuously opposed to AUKUS".
"Not disclosed in Meryl Swanson's 'E-News' update to her electorate is the fact that this trip was to Washington DC, with expenses covered by Pyne & Partners lobby firm for arms manufacturers headed by Christopher Pyne, former Minister for Defence," Ms Tranter tweeted on April 13. "Why not?"
Ms Tranter's question followed reports in national media that Ms Swanson and Liberal senator James Paterson were part of a "bipartisan defence industry delegation to Washington DC and New York whose flights, accommodation and incidentals were all covered by Pyne and Partners".
Ms Swanson said the US trip would be declared in the parliamentary register.
She said the E-News mailout went to about 20,000 addresses and contained brief reports highlighting matters of interest.
Later, a staffer pointed out that the March 17 event referred to by Ms Tranter was not the trip to the United States, but a domestic gathering, although Mr Pyne was the host.
Mrs Tranter said that regardless of which event involving Mr Pyne was reported in Ms Swanson's E-News, there was still no mention of him funding her, making it "a complete non-disclosure".
"There was no reason it could not have been included in an electronic newsletter that supposedly keeps her electorate up to date on her activities. How could a trip like that benefit her electorate? And why did she accept an all expenses paid trip by a lobbyist with the arms industry?" she said.
Ms Swanson said the Paterson electorate included the Williamtown RAAF base and the adjacent aerospace contractors, meaning that a briefing from top US officials was an absolutely legitimate undertaking.
She said she accepted the invitation from Pyne and Partners, who "promoted it as a bipartisan opportunity".
"I discussed it with senior colleagues and agreed it would be beneficial to my electorate its stakeholders in this space," she said. "I'm not a decision maker on AUKUS so it is not something that causes any compromise to me in my role as a local member."
Ms Swanson said she fully supported AUKUS and would push for the Hunter to obtain as much work as possible out of it.
Ian Kirkwood
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
