Michael McCormack says ‘no case to answer’ against MP visiting Asia

Acting PM says a federal police investigation into a government MP being open to blackmail ‘found no case to answer’.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Picture: AAP

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack says a federal police investigation into a government MP being open to blackmail because of visits to disreputable neighbourhoods in Southeast Asia “found no case to answer”.

Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper reported yesterday that the Australian Federal Police had warned cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson an MP was open to blackmail or extortion because of visits to areas known to be frequented by prostitutes and drug dealers.

Mr McCormack said yesterday he knew about the AFP’s interes­t in a member of the governme­nt but there was no evidence of any criminal conduct.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton should revea­l what they knew about the MP in question “and what the concerns raised by the AFP were”.

“Given the precarious nature of this government, it’s beyond belief that Mr Morrison hasn’t been briefed on this matter,’’ Mr Dreyfus said. “It is something they should do because all Aust­ralians have a right to know if a government MP has put himself or herself in the position of being exposed to a threat of extortion or a threat of blackmail because of their own personal conduct.”

The AFP began investigating after an embassy official passed on concerns about the MP to anothe­r senior MP. The Herald Sun reported the Prime Minister’s office said the alert came from a Labor MP.

The AFP told Mr Dutton earlier this year that the case was being closed, but the MP was reporte­dly still a potential target for foreign interests. The Prime Minister’s office said it was aware of an allegation made against an MP, but it had been “discredited and dismisse­d by the AFP”.