2023-07-25
Further revelations in the Nine papers today about corruption allegations and Pacific offshore detention reinforce the need for a Royal Commission into the operations of Home Affairs, Acting Greens Leader Mehreen Faruqi said today.
According to the reports, then Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was warned by the AFP about bribery risks associated with a businessman who was nonetheless awarded a multi-million dollar contract just weeks later. The allegations also show that money continued to flow to entities long after AUSTRAC warned about potential corruption and money laundering.
According to the reports, the company embroiled in the allegations continued to be contracted under the current Labor government.
Attributable to acting Greens Leader Senator Mehreen Faruqi:
“The Prime Minister must establish a Royal Commission which examines the entire cruel history of our immigration detention system as well as this latest Home Affairs scandal.
“These allegations are deeply troubling. Peter Dutton must explain what he knew and Labor must explain why these contracts continued on their watch.
“At the same time as it was ruining the lives of refugees, the whole offshore detention system was clearly embroiled in questionable contracts and dodgy deals. There needs to be a full and open inquiry.”
“This is the true cost of Australia’s shameful obsession with offshore processing at all costs: money that could be spent establishing safe pathways for people seeking asylum and refugees ends up lost in the rivers of gold flowing to questionable contractors all with the Australian government’s blessing.”