Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, in writing, on 9 February 2011:

In respect of the Home Insulation Program:

(1) What is the Government doing:

(a) about allegations of; and

(b) to elicit information from residents about; fraudulent rebate claims by installers.

(2) What is the process by which claims of alleged fraud are considered.

(3) How many claims of alleged fraud have been

(a) received and

(b) investigated.

(4) Of those cases investigated,

(a) how many have been completed, and what were the outcomes; and

(b) what number resulted in prosecutions, and what were the outcomes.

(5) How many prosecutions are in train.

(6) In how many cases have steps been taken to seek restitution from fraudulent claimants, and what was the outcome including how many cases for restitution were successful, and the individual and total sums of restitution recovered.

(7) Throughout the entire process (ie, investigation, prosecution, restitution, etc) what information is provided to owners of premises who have made claims of fraud.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

I made a public statement regarding these matters on 3 March 2011.

The Australian Government has undertaken a comprehensive compliance and fraud investigation through a forensic audit of the program. Those investigations resulted in the actions taken by my Department and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on 2 March 2011.

My Department has established a team to investigate these matters internally and they have received assistance from the AFP in pursuing those matters.

At this time it would be inappropriate to make any further comment on matters currently being investigated.

The information that I have previously announced will no doubt provide an assurance to the people of Australia that this Government is committed to pursuing those unscrupulous operators that chose to take advantage of the Home Insulation Program.