2016-06-27
Reports of a culture of corruption inside the government's Border Force department show how politicisation has undermined the agency, the Australian Greens have said.
The Australian Greens will move for a Parliamentary inquiry into the business and skilled visa streams after the election.
"Border Force has been used as a politicised 'stop the boats' propaganda machine, at the expense of the agency's integrity," the Greens' immigration spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
"The Immigration Department and the Minister can't be trusted to investigate these matters themselves. That's why it's essential the Parliament launch an inquiry into these serious allegations of fraud and corruption.
"Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull have taken their eye off the ball and allowed their new department to become so obsessed with boats that corruption has festered in their own ranks.
"Militarising the Immigration Department and focussing intently on Operation Secret Boats was always going to undermine the agency's efficacy.
"Perhaps if Border Force spent more time weeding out corruption in its own ranks and less time threatening whistle blowers who speak out about offshore detention, we wouldn't be in this mess.
"Rather than focussing on political scare-mongering, we should be putting in a place a fair and efficient system that gives people a safer way to reach Australia than a leaky boat.
"By shutting down the hugely expensive offshore detention camps and reinvesting that money into assessing people's claims in Indonesia and Malaysia, before flying those in need to Australia safely, we would save lives at sea while helping people in need."
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