The Senate committee investigating Peter Dutton’s use of ministerial powers to spare au pairs from deportation will today ask for more time before it releases its final report.
SBS News understands the Labor chair, Louise Pratt, will seek the Senate’s approval to extend the inquiry by another week to September 19.
The Upper House will need to approve the extension but Labor is confident it will pass with the support of the Greens and the crossbench.
The inquiry was due to report on Tuesday, but recent revelations from the former Border Force chief Roman Quaedvlieg have raised new questions and sparked a bitter public feud with Mr Dutton.
Former Australian Border Force boss Roman Quaedvlieg has urged Labor to shore up its border policy. (AAP)
Mr Quaedvlieg wrote to the inquiry alleging he was asked by the minister’s chief of staff to help a “mate” of Mr Dutton by preventing the deportation of a young European au pair, who had been detained by Border Force on suspicion of a visa breach.
Mr Dutton responded by accusing his former top border officer of working with the Labor party on a smear campaign and pointing out that Mr Quaedvlieg’s dates did not match with the dates he worked at the department.
In turn, Mr Quaedvlieg wrote a second letter explaining the date mixup by suggesting he may have been referring to a third au pair intervention.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has rejected claims he may have tried to help a third au pair. (AAP)
AAP
