Dutton faces ‘political witchhunt’ as Parliament resumes
PETER Dutton has rejected claims he misled Parliament over the so-called au pairs scandal - but still faces the prospect of being referred to the High Court over his eligibility to serve as an MP.
National
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PETER Dutton has rejected claims that he misled Parliament over the so-called au pairs scandal as “completely false” in a statement that sparked furious debate in Canberra this morning.
The Home Affairs Minister rose in Parliament today to publicly respond to claims he used his ministerial intervention powers to stop two European au pairs from being deported because he had some personal connection to their employers.
His statement comes after an explosive Senate inquiry into the matter last week, where AFL chief Gillon McLachlan testified about his role in lobbying Mr Dutton to stop a French au pair from being deported from Adelaide airport.
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The au pair, Alexandra Duewel, was due to stay with his second cousin Callum MacLachman and had told border force officials she intended to work for his family.
Mr Dutton also intervened to stop an Italian au pair being deported who was headed to work for Queensland cop Russell Keag, a former colleague of the Minister’s when he was a police officer in the 1990s.
The minister denied he had misled Parliament in March by ruling out having a personal connection to the au pairs’ employers.
“My answer was in the context of the baseless allegation of the employment of this person by my family,” he said.
His statement provoked a scornful response from Opposition leader Bill Shorten, who took the opportunity to blast chaos within the Liberal Party and state that Tony Abbott is the Jim Henson pulling the strings behind Scott Morrison’s “muppet show”.
Mr Dutton stated that he had never met Ms Duewel or “anyone else involved in that matter” and his decision to intervene in her case came at the advice of the Home Affairs Department.
“A representation was received by my office, specifically my chief of staff, from an AFL government relations officer,” he said.
“My chief of staff requested information, regarding the matter, from the department. The department compiled a submission, including all relevant information.
“As was provided in evidence to the Senate inquiry hearing last week, on the front page of that submission was a recommendation to intervene. I actioned the submission on the facts of the case before me.”
Mr Dutton also stated that “to the best of my knowledge” he had not socialised or had personal contact with Mr Keag since he finished working for Queensland Police in 1999.
“No reasonable person could come to the conclusion that my professional association through working in the same large public service some 20 years ago constitutes either a personal connection or relationship,” he said.
He added that Mr Keag had contacted him by his official Facebook page and his first response to the staff member who saw the post was “who?” when she asked about his former colleague.
Mr Dutton said at no time did he speak to the Australian Border Force Commissioner or any other member of the Department about the matter.
He also said he acted on the Department’s advice to intervene in the Italian au pair’s case.
Labor leader Bill Shorten rose in Parliament after Mr Dutton spoke to blast last month’s leadership spill, moving a motion to condemn the chaos which ultimately saw the Liberal Party vote to adjourn Parliament proceedings early while it dealt with the coup against Mr Turnbull.
The government used its numbers to defeat the motion 72 to 68 but not before Mr Shorten gave a speech highlighting ongoing bullying claims and leaks from within Liberal ranks.
“Every Australian wants to know, as Parliament resumes, why isn’t Malcolm Turnbull the Prime Minister of Australia,” he said.
“Last time the Parliament met, the Liberals and Nationals voted together to shut this place down.
“They gave up even pretending to care about the country, they walked off the job, not in protest, not in pursuit even of better conditions, but in simple surrender - being in government was too hard for this government. In that moment, once and for all, they proved they are simply unfit to govern Australia.”
He questioned Mr Morrison’s control of his party, stating that Mr Abbott still heavily influenced government policy direction.
“Who is actually the director of the production? Who is the Jim Henson of the muppet show of the government of Australia? And it is is same as it’s ever been - the member for Warringah,” he said.
“Two weeks ago wasn’t the end of the civil war, it was just the opening shot and the next battle we see every day.”
In a second challenge for the embattled Home Affairs Minister, Labor and the Greens will attempt to refer him to the High Court over his financial interests in a company that runs childcare centres in Queensland that receive funding from the Commonwealth.
The move, which has been dubbed a “political witchhunt” by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, will be a serious threat to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s hold on government if it succeeds.
Mr Morrison has already lost his one seat majority in the Lower House after Malcolm Turnbull quit politics following the leadership spill.
His absence will give Labor’s bid to refer Mr Dutton a chance of succeeding - if all five crossbench MPs back the move.
Even then, Speaker Tony Smith may intervene and use his vote to prevent it.
If Mr Dutton is referred to the High Court, it will seriously hamper the government’s capacity to pass legislation through the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, a date has yet to be set for a by-election in Malcolm Turnbull’s former seat of Wentworth.
Speaker Tony Smith told Parliament this morning he would be consulting with party leaders this week on possible dates.
The soonest a poll can be held is on a Saturday 33 days after the writ for the by-election is issued, making an October 20 by-election possible if it is issued this week.
It would allow Prime Minister Morrison to only face three weeks of Parliament sitting without a one-seat majority.
If it’s pushed out to October 27 or later, he will face more sitting weeks without a majority in the Lower House.
The Liberal Party is expected to retain the safe Liberal seat unless voters punish the party for ousting Mr Turnbull.
In another potential threat to the government, the Opposition is arguing dozens of decisions Mr Dutton has made as minister could be challenged in the courts if he is ruled ineligible to sit in Parliament over the possible Section 44 issue.
Ms Hanson came to Mr Dutton’s defence this morning, saying Labor, the Greens and activist group GetUp! were conducting a “political witchhunt” to get rid of the minister.
“There are other things to do with on the floor of Parliament,” she told Channel Seven’s Sunrise program.
Mr Dutton has threatened to turn the tables on Labor by detailing “curious” visa requests from Labor MPs if the opposition dares to pull any stunts this week.
Former Labor immigration minister Chris Bowen “granted” visas to an au pair working for Italian soccer star Alessandro Del Piero, in 2012 and 2013, and former Labor immigration minister Tony Burke intervened to grant permanent residency to a Lebanese man whose entry was backed by a Labor donor against departmental advice, according to The Australian.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Opposition had become “experts at mud-slinging” but Mr Dutton had the government’s backing.
The au pair affair is likely to flare up again when former Australian Border Force boss Roman Quaedvlieg submits more evidence to a Senate inquiry.
The ex-ABF commissioner sent a letter to the committee alleging Mr Dutton’s chief of staff Craig Maclachlan asked for help in June 2015.
Mr Dutton has labelled the letter “entirely false and indeed fabricated” and says Mr Maclachlan did not work for him until October 2015.
Mr Quaedvlieg has now sent extra information to the Senate committee, which is investigating Mr Dutton’s use of his ministerial powers to pluck two au pairs from immigration detention.
On Mr Dutton’s eligibility to remain in parliament, Labor is looking to capitalise on the coalition losing its Lower House majority to have another crack at referring Mr Dutton to the High Court.
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