Peter Dutton urges NACC to investigate stripping of Mike Pezzullo honour

Peter Dutton has slammed the decision to strip Mike Pezzullo of his Order of Australia and urged the Albanese government to refer the matter to the anti-corruption commission.

Former chief of the Department of Home Affairs Mike Pezzullo. Picture: Martin Ollman

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Peter Dutton has slammed the decision to strip Mike Pezzullo of his Order of Australia and urged the Albanese government to refer the matter to the anti-corruption commission.

The Opposition Leader accused the government of influencing the Order of Australia Council on the decision, which the office of the Governor-General made public last week.

Mr Dutton, who as home affairs minister worked closely with the former mandarin, accused Labor of seeking retribution on Mr Pezzullo for having close relationships with people within the Coalition.

“This is a clear demonstration of political interference in the process. I actually think it’s a matter for the integrity commission to investigate,” Mr Dutton told 2GB radio.

“Because there is no conviction against Mr Pezzullo, there’s no impropriety alleged against him that would warrant the stripping of this honour, and it is nothing more than the government trying to seek retribution against him.”

Mr Dutton’s intervention comes after The Australian revealed prominent Order of Australia holders Kim Beazley, Jeff Kennett, John Anderson and Warren Mundine came out against the move to rescind the honour for the former head of the Home ­Affairs Department.

The decision to terminate the honour was not made by the government but by Governor-General Sam Mostyn on the advice of the OAC, whose chair, Shelley Reys, was recommended by Anthony Albanese.

The OAC is refusing to outline reasons for the termination, ­although it is likely to do with Mr Pezzullo’s sacking as Home ­Affairs secretary following the publication of inappropriately political text messages with Liberal powerbroker Scott Briggs.

Government sources say Mr Albanese disagrees with the OAC’s decision but he has not commented on it publicly.

Assistant Minister for the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman acts as the government’s representative on the council, on behalf of Finance Minister Katy Gallagher.

Mr Gorman signalled he argued against the decision to revoke Mr Pezzullo’s honour, an action usually reserved for people convicted of a crime.

“I cannot disclose the deliberations of the council but it goes without saying that as his Assistant Minister, I agree with the Prime Minister,” Mr Gorman told The Australian on Wednesday.

After 2GB radio host Ray Hadley noted former TV Andrew O’Keefe continues to hold his Order of Australia despite being convicted of crimes, Mr Dutton said he had “never seen anything like the stripping of this award”.

He demanded the government outline the position its member on the council took on the issue while it was being deliberated.

“If this is the standard that the government’s setting, we can send them a list tomorrow of people – prominent Australians and others – who are either before the courts or have been convicted of pretty serious charges and have held their honours,” Mr Dutton said.

“If the Prime Minister believes that he can justify this, he should be out talking about ‘why?’.

“Because I think it’s a matter, frankly, the government should refer to the integrity commission, because there clearly has been interference in what is supposed to be an independent process.”