Opposition leader Peter Dutton is receiving free ongoing legal assistance from one of Australia’s most powerful and politically connected law firms.
Mr Dutton updated his gifts register on December 23 to include legal help from Melbourne-based commercial law giant Arnold Bloch Leibler, which donates to both major parties, has a number of partners who are prominent members of the city’s Jewish community, and is closely linked to Australian Zionist groups.
The reason for the legal assistance, declared alongside gifts of Chinese tea from a Ferris Jin and Jamie Mao Juemin, and a bottle of whiskey from a Kevin Withers, has not been disclosed by Mr Dutton.
Barrister Geoffrey Watson SC, a director of the Centre for Public Integrity, told The Age Mr Dutton should inform the public about what the legal assistance is for, saying disclosure was important because commercial law firms can be given government contracts.
“There’s no way in the world that this could be regarded as a matter that could be compromised by a simple statement,” Mr Watson said.
“There’s just no reason why you would keep it a secret.”
In November Birchgrove Legal announced that it had filed representative legal action against Mr Dutton with the Australian Human Rights Commission, accusing him of “discrimination and inciting racial hatred through his remarks and social media commentary on Gaza and Palestinians”.
The claim is led by Jewish academic Professor Peter Slezak and Australian Palestinian Advocacy Network boss Nasser Mashni.
Arnold Bloch Leibler’s sole senior partner is Mark Leibler, who is the chairman of lobby group the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) and was an outspoken advocate for Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s failed Voice to Parliament referendum which sought to rewrite Australia’s constitution in October last year.
The AIJAC organised a trip to Israel for Mr Dutton in August, where the Opposition leader met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, and vowed to “rebuild” Australia’s relationship with Israel if elected. The visit was criticised from both sides of politics at the time.
Mr Leibler was recently given Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honour alongside Jewish multiculturalism advocate and Westfield billionaire Frank Lowy, and his son Jeremy is also a partner at the firm.
Jeremy Leibler is president of Australian umbrella organisation the Zionist Federation of Australia which declares that it is “committed to advocating for the State of Israel on behalf of the Jewish community in Australia and fostering a deep connection between Australia and Israel”.
Mr Leibler’s brother was Jewish activist and former head of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Isi Leibler, who also served as senior vice president World Jewish Congress before resigning over a financial scandal, ran travel agency Jetset, and operated in Australia as an agent of Israeli intelligence.
Header image: Left, Peter Dutton on his AIJAC-organised trip to Israel in August. Right, with Mark Leibler in Canberra in 2016 (Facebook).
