Embattled Labor Senator Sam Dastyari will front up to an "ask me anything" press conference on Tuesday in an attempt to put to bed the furore enveloping him over his links to Chinese donors to the ALP.
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He will not resign from his position on the ALP frontbench or as manager of opposition business in the Senate, and Labor leader Bill Shorten is locked in firmly behind the NSW senator.
A Labor source told Fairfax Media that Senator Dastyari is "not going anywhere" and "Bill will not knock someone off at the first whiff of grapeshot".
Some in Labor have begun discussing whether the Senator may have to step aside for the good of the party, rather than attempting to tough out the storm of criticism, and the idea has been discussed with him.
But Mr Shorten is firmly backing the NSW Senator and attempted to shift focus on Tuesday to the broader issue of foreign donations, arguing Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should get on board with the proposals from the ALP and, indeed, the Greens.
He described Mr Dastyari as a "junior" senator several times – despite his positions in the shadow ministry and the Senate, and the fact that he topped Labor's Senate ticket in NSW at the last election.
"We've got an opportunity in this country to reform election donations, transparency is what the public need to have confidence in the public process and I absolutely believe that Mr Turnbull now needs to act," he said.
"Sam Dastyari ... is a bright young man. I think that's acknowledged and I think he can make a serious contribution to Australian political life and to this nation. But he's made an imprudent decision and he acknowledges that and he recognises the mistake he's made."
"In terms of the mistakes that he's made he acknowledges them but ... Mr Turnbull here is ducking the real issue ... What is appropriate in terms of a donation and from whom is it appropriate to receive that donation? Mr Turnbull's got to stop ducking the real issue."
Mr Turnbull, the Opposition Leader said, was "attacking a junior senator from NSW" and "ducking the real and fundamental issue", which was substantive donation reform.
Senator Dastyari has told colleagues that he realises how serious his predicament is and that revelations the Labor powerbroker had a Chinese government-linked donor pay a $1600 debt and that he had adopted a pro-China stance on the South China Sea dispute that was at odds with that of the Labor Party were a "dreadful look".
Senator Dastyari's difficulties can be traced back to 2015, when Fairfax Media exclusively revealed the Yuhu Group, a big donor to both sides of politics, had picked up a $5000 bill Senator Dastyari had incurred while general secretary of the NSW ALP.
Mr Shorten said Senator Dastyari had in recent days made it very clear to him that he did in fact support Labor's policy – not China's – for the Australian navy to be able to conduct freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea.
The NSW senator is just 33 years old and has years ahead of him in the federal parliament – time enough to make a comeback – if he were to step aside.
On Tuesday, Attorney-General George Brandis issued a challenge to Mr Shorten, asking whether he is willing to accept a senior colleague being "in the pay of a foreign-controlled entity", echoing comments from Mr Turnbull, deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and Treasurer Scott Morrison.
"In the Senate last Thursday, I asked 47 specific questions about the two donations and I called upon Senator Dastyari to explain the circumstances of those donation and we have not heard a word from him and, more importantly, we haven't heard a word from Mr Shorten," Senator Brandis said.
Senator Dastyari has gone to ground in recent days, cancelling an appearance at an Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry forum on Monday night.
