A Liberal backbencher is facing fresh questions about her connections to the Chinese government, following allegations Beijing tried to plant a spy in federal parliament.
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Senate crossbencher Rex Patrick said a "shadow" remained over Victorian Liberal MP Gladys Liu.
"She hasn't made a statement to parliament about her connections with the Chinese," Senator Patrick said on Monday.
"I'm not suggesting anything but there is a shadow and where there's a shadow, light can solve issues to make sure that people are absolutely confident in MPs."
Ms Liu, the member for Chisholm, has previously come under fire for her links to Chinese Communist Party propaganda organisations.
There are now reports Chinese operatives tried to cultivate another Liberal member to run in her Melbourne seat.
Nick Zhao, 32, was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room after reportedly approaching ASIO to discuss the plot.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann shot down questions about what the Liberal Party was doing to make sure its candidates were not agents of foreign governments.
"I think you are quite inappropriately conflating unrelated issues here. I reject that in the strongest possible terms," he told the ABC.
"I do not think there is any suggestion along the lines of what you have just suggested or implied in relation to the member for Chisholm, Gladys Liu."
Australian Associated Press
