An Italian marble table, originally purchased in the 1980s for $590, has been found to have suffered a similar fate during what’s believed to have been a wild farewell party for Abbott in the Cabinet room.
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Government bureaucrats are refusing to reveal what brands of wine and beer Tony Abbott supplied to entertain guests while prime minister, more than six months after a Freedom of Information request.
The Department of Parliamentary Services was told about the broken table by cleaners the morning after the party.
On Monday, Mr Abbott took responsibility for the damage and said he would pay for the repairs, expected to cost about $1000.
Departmental officer John Ryan told the committee that cleaners had reported seeing marble pieces in other ministerial offices.
‘I reckon it’s about time we replaced all of that weak structural marble in Parliament House with good quality, strong Tasmanian marble, ‘ he told reporters.
At present it is still unknown what caused the table to break.
Liberal minister Jamie Briggs was confined to a wheelchair the day after the gathering, but has denied any responsibility for the state of the table, claiming he did his ACL while running.
Mr Abbott’s statement comes after the first photographs of the wrecked table were released after persistent rumours senior Liberals may have been dancing on tables that fateful, boozy September night.
Senator Penny Wong holds up the photo of the damaged marble table during a hearing with the Finance and Public Administration committee at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday.
The story of the broken table dominated the Senate estimates hearing, as members disagreed on whether the table had been “smashed” or merely “damaged”.
Mr Abbott confirmed in a statement that he had “hosted drinks in the Cabinet anteroom for staff and colleagues” on 14 September, after he was ousted by Malcolm Turnbull.
DPS said they had received one quote for a new table under $1000, and another one “well over that amount”.
But things only kicked up a notch from there, with everyone from the outgoing Prime Minister on down letting their hair down at the party that evening in Mr Abbott’s offices.
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Labor Senator Penny Wong lead the questioning, saying the event must have been “quite the party” to have seen the 1988 Italian marble table broken into at least two, with a few fragments still missing.
