As we previously reported: "For her three years at the design school she paid a grand total of $7,546 tuition, for a degree that ordinarily costs $68,182. Where the Prime Minister runs into trouble is due to the fact that he did not declare the scholarship on the Members' Interests Register, which discloses political gifts. Mr Abbott has stated the scholarship was not included because it was earned on merit. But the nature of that merit is in severe question, with prior relationships between the Whitehouse Institute Chairman of the Board, Les Taylor and Tony Abbott emerging. Taylor has been shown to have donated large sums to the NSW Liberal Party, and evidence is emerging that Taylor expressly approached Frances about attending the Whitehouse school, and not a rival." moreOh how lovely, it all seems to be fitting together nicely. Now we have the added bonus of donations to the NSW Lieberals and all the scandal that's causing them here with the ICAC. Indeed it bought down the NSW premier.
Which raises an interesting question: if there are shady circumstances surrounding these large donations by the college chairman, would Abbott be dragged into a New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation?
Oh but there's more! Even though the proclaimed "budget emergency" is evidently about to swallow us all, Abbott has found money in the budget to, for the first time, provide direct funding to private colleges.
To boot, Abbott announced in one of the most contentious budgets in decades that from 2016 onwards the government will for the first time ever provide direct funding to private colleges, one of which includes the Whitehouse Institute. But speculative arguments surrounding any potential lobbying which may or may not have occurred or any "gifts" the Abbott family may or may not have received are moot as Frances' scholarship (of which she was the second ever recipient) was awarded based on merit. more
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