Dutton had au pair employer link: inquiry

A Labor-chaired Senate committee has found Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton intervened in visa cases for au pairs because of a personal connection.

A Labor-dominated Senate committee has found Peter Dutton misled parliament over his personal connections to the employer of an au pair he granted a visa.

The inquiry looked at the Home Affairs minister's decision to intervene in the visa cases of two European nannies when he held the immigration portfolio, including one employed by a former Queensland police colleague.

"Minister Dutton had a clear personal connection and an existing relationship with the intended employer of the au pair in the Brisbane case," Labor senator and committee chair Louise Pratt told parliament on Wednesday.

Mr Dutton had categorically denied any personal connection to the case when asked about it in the lower house.

"It is the view of the committee that the minister misled the parliament in this matter," Senator Pratt said.

The report called for statements on ministerial interventions in immigration cases to be made public to determine if they were made in accordance with the ministerial guidelines.

The committee said the Senate should consider censuring Mr Dutton for failing to observe fairness in making official decisions as required by ministerial standards.

Liberal senator and committee member Jim Molan said the evidence had disclosed no instances of the minister acting improperly.

"Not only were they unable to locate a smoking gun, they learned that there was absolutely no gun at all," he said.

Earlier, Mr Dutton said the Labor-Greens dominated inquiry was politically motivated and predicted it would find him to be a "bad person."

"It will be a political report with political recommendations," he told reporters.


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Source: AAP



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