PM Abbott updates interests register

The prime minister has added three pages of gifts to his pecuniary interest register, but they don't include a scholarship given to one of his daughters.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his daughter Frances

Tony Abbott has described questions about his daughter Frances' scholarship as "dirt digging". (AAP)

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has updated his pecuniary interest register to include gifts and hospitality offered to his wife and daughters.

But he has declined to add a design college scholarship awarded to his daughter Frances.

Les Taylor, chairman of the Whitehouse Institute of Design in Sydney, has made donations to the NSW Liberal Party and has known Mr Abbott for many years.

He gave Mr Abbott, when he was opposition leader, clothing on two occasions, which have been already been declared on the members' interests register.

In 2011, Frances Abbott received an institute scholarship - known as the "Chairman's scholarship" - worth up to $60,000 and is now employed by the institute in Melbourne.

The Whitehouse Institute is a member of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training, which lobbied the government for extending commonwealth-supported places beyond public universities.

Mr Abbott updated his pecuniary interest register by adding three pages of entries, 23 of which relate to his wife and daughters.

They included tickets to fashion shows and the gift of a dress from designer Johnny Schembri to daughter Bridget, which she kept and paid $20 to the Collector of Public Monies.

Mr Abbott has kept the gift of a set of Shimano bicycle gears and wheels from Japanese leader Shinzo Abe and paid $2475 to the Collector of Public Monies.

The prime minister has argued the scholarship was earned by Frances on merit and she proved this by being a distinction-average student.


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Source: AAP


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