Ex-
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he will pay for a table damaged in a
farewell social gathering after his ousting from the leadership.
After
the issue was raised by the opposition he said "it was my occasion so I
take responsibility for it".
The
marble table price A$590 ($428; £277) when it was purchased more than 20 years
ago.
Mr.
Abbott was toppled as head by Malcolm Turnbull last month after being weighed
down by poor polls.
Cleaners
exposed shards of the marble table on 15 September, the day after Mr. Abbott's
ousting, a parliamentary committee that viewed pictures of the table heard.
The
committee also heard from an email written by a section of Parliamentary
Services (DPS) official suggesting the table "may have been damaged by
persons footing or dancing on it".
Mr.
Abbott said in a statement: "On the night of the leadership change I
hosted drinks in the cabinet ante-room for employees and colleagues. in this
event, a coffee table was damaged."
"I
have asked my office to have the Department of Parliamentary Services charge me
for the value of the table."
"Quite
a party," said Senator Penny Wong from opposition Labor.
But Cory Bernardi,
from the governing Liberals, urged care over the topic saying the email telling
the cause of the damage was "mainly tentative".