She must be some might fine designer

[freakiness]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/21/tony-abbotts-daughter-did-not-have-to-pay-for-60000-des...

Tony Abbott’s daughter Frances received a “chairman’s scholarship” for a degree costing more than $60,000 from the Whitehouse Institute of Design where an Abbott donor sits as chairman on the board of governors, Guardian Australia can reveal.

The revelation raises questions for the prime minister over whether the scholarship should have been declared on his interests register.

The Coalition government is also under pressure over changes to higher education funding announced in the budget.

Frances Abbott undertook a bachelor of design at the Whitehouse Institute of Design in Sydney from 2011 to 2013. Guardian Australia has confirmed that she received a scholarship during her time at the institute.

“Frances definitely was a student with us and received a chairman’s scholarship,” Leanne Whitehouse, director of the Institute told Guardian Australia. She declined to detail how many times the “chairman’s scholarship” has been awarded previously, but the institute’s website makes no references to the scholarship and states the institute “does not currently offer scholarships to gain a place into the Bachelor of Design”.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@am*3 wrote:

This was at the end of one of the ariticles on the scholarship

In the federal budget, the government announced that from 2016 it would for the first time extend direct government funding to private colleges.

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I don't know about other private colleges or about federal funding. But certainly Whitehouse currently gets state funding. In the same way that the private Notredam University (a new Catholic university in Sdney) gets funding. If the college/uni offers diplomas then they can apply for funding.

I assumed that the funding to private colleges was about giving funds to colleges such as those who supply industry certificate courses for travel agents, hairdressing etc. These colleges currently don't get funding.

[alexander*beetle]

Indeed the facts are now coming out.

https://newmatilda.com/2014/05/21/leaked-documents-cast-doubt-abbotts-60k-scholarship-claims

It appears they offered her the scholarship and chased her for it. Had to call her 4 times and the only application process was a quick meeting.

[i-need-a-martini]

How could someone with aspirations to be PM be so polically dumb in the choices he makes?

[icyfroth]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

How could someone with aspirations to be PM be so polically dumb in the choices he makes?

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You mean Mr Abbott? Pretty sure his aspirations have been realised and he is already the PM...

[cherry*135]

They made a big fuss about her putting in an application and portfolio... If she was the only one to be approached and/or interviewed for a $60 000 scholarship ,what a farce those comments are.

[cherry*135]

He wasn't PM when that scholarship was awarded.

[*elizabeths-mum*]

I can't imagine anything worse than being the PMs daughter (any PM). Poor kid will never know whether she was considered particularly talented or if it was to suck up to Daddy.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

How could someone with aspirations to be PM be so polically dumb in the choices he makes?

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You mean Mr Abbott? Pretty sure his aspirations have been realised and he is already the PM...

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You miss the point.

If O'Farrell had been had the forethought to have declared that bottle of Penflod or refused it (as all public servants are required to do), then he would still be in his position today.

If you have political ambitions, then all your actions should be carefully considered on the way up the political ladder. And the higher you are on that ladder then the more prudent you should be and the more delicate these issues become.

I haven't the time to confirm the dates so I could be wrong, but I think he was Opposition Leader when his daughter was given this freebie.

[icyfroth]

From all I've heard and read there is nothing untoward with this scholarship.

It was not a gift, it was earned on merit and did not need declaring. Frances graduated with high honours and is now working for Whitehouse as a teacher's aide while working toward her Masters, so it's value back for them.

Gifts that were given by Mr Taylor to Mr Abbott were duly declared.

It just being beat up now as another Abbott-bashing exercise.

[freakiness]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

How could someone with aspirations to be PM be so polically dumb in the choices he makes?

---

You mean Mr Abbott? Pretty sure his aspirations have been realised and he is already the PM...

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You miss the point.

If O'Farrell had been had the forethought to have declared that bottle of Penflod or refused it (as all public servants are required to do), then he would still be in his position today.

If you have political ambitions, then all your actions should be carefully considered on the way up the political ladder. And the higher you are on that ladder then the more prudent you should be and the more delicate these issues become.

I haven't the time to confirm the dates so I could be wrong, but I think he was Opposition Leader when his daughter was given this freebie.

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Yes, the offer, according to that report was made in 2010 after he became leader of Opp and commenced at the beginning of 2011.