Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. Yesterday, the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee tabled its report, which found that Minister Dutton had a 'clear personal connection and existing relationship with the intended employer of the au pair in the Brisbane case.' What action will the Prime Minister take in response to Minister Dutton misleading the House of Representatives?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, I reject the premise of the question. The Labor-Greens inquiry was nothing more than a cheap political stunt. The Labor Party, quite frankly, should be embarrassed. After all of this carry on, after spending weeks on end telling the world that this was going to be the end of Minister Dutton, well, Minister Dutton is alive and well. Your pursuit of Minister Dutton, you might as well have chased him with a wet lettuce leaf. Honestly, you should be embarrassed for relying on the fabricated evidence of the disgraced former ABF commissioner and you should be embarrassed for hyping up this Senate inquiry only to see it fizzle out.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, on a point of order.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment and Water (Senate)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, Senator Cormann is misleading the parliament because the report does not rely on the evidence of Roman—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a point of order. Resume your seat, Senator Pratt. I asked senators at the beginning of question time when raising a point of order to at least commence it by addressing an issue of order or the standing orders, not simply to turn to a political statement.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. Mr Dutton is, of course, a very effective minister, protecting our borders, keeping our nation secure. He has cancelled 3,763 visas of non-citizens who have committed crimes, including, 684 convicted for assault, 270 child sex offenders, 69 murderers, 193 for violent offences and 194 outlaw motorcycle gang members. The Minister for Home Affairs has cancelled more visas of non-citizen criminals in the last 12 months than Labor did in 12 years. You know what? I am being asked questions about interventions by Minister Dutton. Minister Dutton has used his intervention powers on 4,816 occasions in the nearly four years since December 2014. Do you know how many times Mr Bowen and the member for Gorton used their powers in just two financial years? 23,000 times. The Labor Party are completely hypocritical in relation to this. The Labor Party are the Olympic record holders when it comes to the use of— (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order around the chamber. There are only 10 minutes to go. Let's make an extra effort. Senator Watt on a supplementary question.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's good to see the minister finally become passionate about one thing—defending Minister Dutton. The Department of Home Affairs belatedly provided 169 pages of responses to questions on notice after the committee had finalised its report. Does the Prime Minister think it's appropriate to withhold information from the committee? Will the secretary of the Department of the PM&C raise this disrespectful approach to the Senate with the secretary of Home Affairs?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not aware of the specifics that Senator Watt is raising here. I take that part of the question on notice.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, a final supplementary question.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the last month it has been revealed that the minister's walking buddy Minister Dutton intervened within hours for two au pairs on tourist visas, misled the parliament, influenced cabinet decisions despite having a conflict of interest and may not even be qualified to be a member of parliament. Why is the Prime Minister continuing to support the Minister for Home Affairs?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister supports his Minister for Home Affairs because he's an outstanding minister who is helping to ensure that our nation remains safe and secure. Minister Dutton works very hard every single day on keeping Australians safe.

Senator Watt asked me about my walking buddy. Let me confirm for the chamber that, yes, Minister Dutton remains my walking buddy. Let me also, in some breaking news, inform the chamber that Senator Sterle has reappeared on the walking circuit. Senator Sterle had disappeared. He is still struggling by Senator Gallacher up Red Hill. They start their walk about half an hour later than we do, but at least they're there. The Prime Minister has full confidence in Minister Dutton, who is one of the most outstanding ministers for border protection that this country has ever seen.