Senators investigate Dutton's au pair saga

A Senate inquiry has revealed AFL boss Gillon McLachlan contacted the highest levels of government over an Argentine polo player's visa application.

KEY POINTS FROM THE AU PAIRS INQUIRY

* AFL boss Gillon McLachlan sought information on behalf of a friend about an Argentine polo player's application for a business visa in 2014.

* McLachlan said the visa had already been approved when the AFL's head of government relations and former Liberal staffer Jude Donnelly contacted a former colleague in then prime minister Tony Abbott's office over the matter.

* McLachlan didn't think his involvement in lobbying Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in the 2015 case of a French au pair who worked for his second cousin would change the outcome.

* The au pair was saved from deportation.

* McLachlan said he had met Dutton about six times. He described their relationship as normal for any minister on either side of politics.

* The leaking of emails about Dutton's intervention in the French au pair case has been referred to the federal police.

* Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo said the department would never put Dutton in a position to act unlawfully.

* Migration agent Eve Watts recalled two of her six applications for ministerial intervention had succeeded. Both were linked to Liberal MPs.


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Senators investigate Dutton's au pair saga | SBS News