Peter Dutton has survived a push from the Greens and Labor to bring on a vote of no confidence in his position as the minister for Home Affairs, after a Senate committee found the minister "misled" Parliament.
The Greens-led motion to suspend the parliament and bring on a vote was defeated in a 67 – 68 split, with no members of the government crossing the floor.
The inquiry was investigating Mr Dutton's use of ministerial powers, which he used to stop the Border Force deporting two young women in 2015 over suspicions they planned to work as au pairs in Australia, despite coming on tourist visas.
Mr Dutton intervened in both cases after he was contacted by the host families, overriding advice from border officers and granting last-minute tourist visas so the young women could stay in the country.
Prime minister Scott Morrison is backing his cabinet minister.
"The Labor Party's about stopping au pairs. We're about stopping boats, criminals, bikie gangs," Mr Morrison told the Nine Network on Thursday morning.
The minister's personal connections to the men has been at the centre of an ongoing political saga for weeks.
One request for help came from a man Mr Dutton knew in the Queensland Police when they both worked there 20 years ago. The other was forwarded by Gillon McLachlan, the boss of the AFL, on behalf of his second-cousin.
Mr Dutton was asked if he had a personal relationship with the families when the story broke last month. "No," he replied.
But the Constitutional and Legal Affairs committee, which Mr Dutton points out has a Labor-Greens majority, found otherwise.
“It is the view of the committee that minister Dutton had a clear personal connection and existing relationship with the intended employer of the au pair in the Brisbane case," the report read, referring to the case with the Queensland policeman.
"Given his definitive answer in the House of Representatives, it is the view of the committee the minister misled Parliament in relation to this matter."
The report was handed down in Parliament on Wednesday evening, after Mr Dutton had preemptively told reporters to expect a "witch-hunt".
"I confirm the evidence before the committee shows that Minister Dutton had both a personal connection with the intended employers of au pairs and misled the Parliament in claiming otherwise," Labor senator Louise Pratt told the Senate chamber.
"This undermines the integrity of Australia’s immigration program."
