WA backbencher faces claims he used his status to promote companies owned by his business partner

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Federal Liberal backbencher Ian Goodenough faces being hauled before a powerful parliamentary inquiry over claims he used his MP status to promote lobster businesses with which he has financial links.

The MP for Moore in Western Australia took delegates from the Australia Asia Exchange Conference to have lunch at Lobster Shack and to tour the Indian Ocean Rock Lobster processing factory, according to his Facebook post on 10 June last year.

His parliamentary register of interests shows that he is a director and company secretary of Australian Agrimarket Pty Ltd.

The family of his business partner at Australian Agrimarket, Brent Thompson, owns the Lobster Shack and the Indian Ocean Rock Lobster processing factory near Perth.

Goodenough denied any wrongdoing. “I have complied with the rules and declared all relevant information in accordance with the House of Representatives disclosure standards,” he said in a statement to Guardian Australia.

“Labor are today peddling spurious claims in an attempt to distract from their retirees tax, which will hit thousands of people in my electorate and across Australia.”

It’s believed no trade deals were struck as a result of the guests having lunch at the Lobster Shack.

However Goodenough admitted Australian Agrimarket in the past has received commissions from the two lobster companies for securing export deals.

“If we do find clients then we do receive a commission,” Goodenough told the Australian.

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“The Thompson family owns the Lobster Shack and Australian Agrimarket is trying to promote exports of Australian produce.”

He dismissed a conflict of interest between his role as an MP and business activities.

“The roles are completely separate. There is no undue influence or anything like that,” Goodenough told the newspaper.

“It was a large conference. I promoted the cities of Wanneroo and Joondalup and Gingin area in general.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Facebook post by Ian Goodenough about the Asian exchange visit. Photograph: Facebook/ Ian Goodenough MP

Labor’s shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said Goodenough had serious questions to answer.

“He appears to have used his position a member of parliament to promote a business in which he has a financial interest,” Dreyfus said in a statement.

“For Mr Goodenough to pretend his status as an MP is irrelevant – when he is promoting this business on his official MP’s Facebook page – simply beggars belief.”

Dreyfus said the situation highlighted the need to establish a national integrity commission.

The opposition is considering whether the MP should be referred to the parliamentary privileges committee.

The backbencher was posting about the lobster business on social media as far back as August 2016.

He also posted on social media about holding a Liberal party fundraiser at the Lobster Shack.