In June 2013, Chinese billionaire Li Ruipeng from the firm Liguancheng Group was in Canberra. There was a dinner at Parliament House and representing the then-federal Opposition was leader Tony Abbott, his chief of staff Peta Credlin, opposition industry spokesman Ian Macfarlane, and opposition spokesman for defence, science, technology and personnel, Stuart Robert.

All MPs were given designer watches by Li as a goodwill gesture. There were also watches for Abbott's wife and Robert's wife, who were not in attendance. A spokesman for Mr Abbott said Ms Credlin was not given a watch.

Macfarlane reasoned his Rolex was a fake. He went and saw the clerk of the House of Representatives to decare the gift. In Opposition, he was not bound to declare a value, but he estimated it was worth between $300 and $500.

Labor ramped up its attack on Stuart Robert during question time on Tuesday. Andrew Meares

Some months later, during the election campaign, Macfarlane was in the Western Australian seat of Moore with Liberal candidate Ian Goodenough. Goodenough had made his pile in real estate and had an eye for quality. He spotted Macfarlane's watch, held his own Rolex in one hand and Macfarlane's in another, compared the weight and reasoned it was a genuine.

Somewhat worried, Macfarlane used a visit to Sydney straight after the election to have the watch valued. He was told it was worth about $40,000 and his wasn't as flash as those given to Abbott and Margie Abbott.