Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed he and his wife, Lucy Turnbull, contributed $1.75 million to the Liberal Party campaign this financial year, seven months after it emerged he donated to his party in the last days of the federal election campaign.
"I contributed $1.75 million, that was the contribution I made. It has been talked about and speculated about but there it is," Mr Turnbull told ABC's 7.30 Report.
Mr Turnbull's contribution was expected to be disclosed in Wednesday's Australian Electoral Commission political donation disclosures but it's absence indicated the contribution had been made on July 1, 2016, thereby delaying the requirement to diclosure the contribution until February 2018.
Speaking on 7.30 report - hours after his lunchtime address to the National Press Club, Mr Turnbull explained he'd been prepared to "put my money where my mouth is" by making a personal contribution to his party unlike being beholden to the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union "like Bill Shorten is".
"I am not beholden to left-wing unions, who own Bill Shorten. I put my money where my mouth is," Mr Turnbull said.
"I stand up for my values, with the money that I've made, the money I've paid tax on, and Bill Shorten wants to go after me all the time.
"He says I'm Mr Harbourside Mansion. I do live with Lucy in a nice house on the water in Sydney. Yes, we do. And we paid for. We pay the expenses on it. We pay - that's our house. Bill Shorten wants to live in a harbourside mansion for which every expanse is paid for by the taxpayer.
"That's the big difference."
The AEC reported the Liberal Party declared $14.7 million in donations, including a $1.3 million donation from mining tycoon Paul Marks who is also a friend of former prime minister Tony Abbott.
