MPs get houses in order

Shelton parliament’s leading landlord with interest in 17 properties

TASMANIAN MPs prefer to invest in property rather than shares, with 24 lower house members owning an interest in 46 properties between them.

The latest update to the Register of Members’ Interests reveals most MPs enjoy modest wealth — with a family home and perhaps a shack being the most common declaration.

Mark Shelton emerged as the most en--thu si as tic property in--vestor in the e House of f Assembly, with an interest in seven properties in Bracknell, Cressy and Port Sorell.

Liberals Elise Archer, Guy Barnett, Sarah Courtney, Roger Jaensch and Nic Street and Labor’s Anita Dow, Ella Haddad, Jennifer Houston, Alison Standen, David O’Byrne and Michelle O’Byrne declared interest in a single property each.

Premier Peter Gutwein and Liberal MP Jacquie Petrusma; Labor’s Rebecca White, Shane Broad and Jenna Butler and Greens member Rosalie Woodruff declared an interest in two properties each.

Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff, Speaker Sue Hickey, independent Madeleine Ogilvie and Greens leader Cassy O’Connor declared interests in three properties each and Liberals Michael Ferguson and John Tucker declared four.

Most MPs declared no shareholdings, although MyState shares were the most popular among the eight equities investors.

Shareholdings appeared modest and were generally in blue- chip companies.

Roger Jaensch was the Warren Buffett of the house, with holdings in Woolworths, Wesfarmers, the Commonwealth Bank and Coles.

Qantas and Virgin lounge memberships were common and each of the party leaders and most ministers declared their memberships as gifts.

Labor deputy leader Michelle O’Byrne was the champion joiner: declaring memberships of 24 different organisations, including the Collingwood Football Club.

Premier Peter Gutwein declared patronages or vice- patronages of 16 organisations, Elise Archer declared 11, and Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff had nine.

New MP Felix Ellis’s declaration was not published on the parliamentary website and the Legislative Council’s register has not yet been updated.

A government spokeswoman said new members had three months from the date they were elected to complete a register of interests return.