Shorten led calls to quit Senate

ACCUSED Chinese whisperer Sam Dastyari finally bowed to pressure from Bill Shorten and quit Parliament yesterday after receiving repeated frank phone calls from the Opposition Leader over four days.

Fearing his shot at The Lodge was at risk, Mr Shorten made phone call after phone call to reinforce his message to Senator Dastyari that he would not be promoted to his frontbench again.

It is understood Mr Shorten did not want to look back after a potential defeat at the next general election and wonder if he could have won if Senator Dastyari had been cut loose.

But the scalp has sparked a factional war between Labor’s Left and Right, which threatens stability under Mr Shorten’s leadership.

Senator Dastyari is accused of being a “double agent” after repeated leaks about his alleged interventions on behalf of Chinese Communist Partylinked billionaire Huang Xiangmo.

In the days up to his resignation, Senator Dastyari complained that “this (negative media reports about him) is never going to end”.

Speculation is mounting that former NSW premier Kristina Keneally could replace the Iranian-born numbers man if she fails to win the Bennelong by-election this weekend.

Yesterday, Senator Dastyari told a media conference: “After much reflection, I have decided that the best service I can render to the federal parliamentary Labor Party is to not return to the Senate in 2018.

“I have not reached this decision lightly. But in my deliberations, I have been guided by my Labor values, which tell me I should leave if my ongoing presence detracts from the pursuit of Labor’s mission.

“It is evident to me we are at that point. So I will spare the party any further distraction.”

Mr Shorten said yesterday: “Following our discussions, Sam Dastyari informed me this morning that he was resigning from the Senate.

“I told him I thought this was the right decision.”