ANDREW GILES MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CITIES AND URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
SHADOW MINISTER ASSISTING FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
MEMBER FOR SCULLIN
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA
THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2020
SUBJECTS: Visa Privatisation farce; Scott Briggs donations
ANDREW GILES, MEMBER FOR SCULLIN: Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton's plans to sell off Australia's visa processing system to the highest bidder is in complete chaos and disarray this morning - this has always been a terrible plan. That's why Labor has opposed it; it threatens the national interest and our national security and puts more than 2000 Australian jobs at risk. In recent weeks, we discovered that this visa privatisation plan can't go ahead, because legislation is required.
It's clear the government doesn't have the numbers in the Senate, yet it won't go away. Peter Dutton and Scott Morrison won't walk away from visa privatisation. And today this issue has descended into a complete farce. Mr Scott Briggs the principal behind one of the bids, a close Liberal Party associate of the Prime Minister and Minister Coleman, has declared donations of $300,000 to the Liberal Party, $165,000 through an entity known as Southern Strategy.
This morning it's reported that he says this donation was an accident. The Liberal Party won't comment or explain it. This is a complete farce. The Government that brought us sports rorts is demonstrating again that it's all about itself. It's not about the national interest. Here we have a proposal to give a $1 billion contract away, where one of the tenderers is a close Liberal Party associate and significant donor. Where the Liberal Party won't explain what has happened with an alleged $165,000 donation. It's time for this to be explained and it's time for Scott Morrison to end this farce and rule out visa privatisation.
JOURNALIST: Well, specifically what would what your plan be for visas?
GILES: Pretty simple, we keep it in the national interest. We think it's a core function of government to determine who comes into Australia and that should be done by permanent public servants who are qualified. That's what all the experts have been saying and that's why the government won't talk about this.
JOURNALIST: Thank you.
GILES: Thanks very much.