ANDREW GILES MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CITIES AND URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
SHADOW MINISTER ASSISTING FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
MEMBER FOR SCULLIN
MORRISON IS PRIVATISING AUSTRALIA’S VISA SYSTEM AND IT WILL BE A DISASTER
The Morrison Government is privatising Australia’s visa system and it will be a disaster.
Right now the Morrison Government is deciding which private consortium will operate Australia’s visa system.
In Question Time today, I asked the Prime Minister: “Does the Prime Minister plan to proceed with the privatisation of Australia's visa system in light of revelations that his mate, Scott Briggs, spent last year leading a group trying to buy the visa system while spending $165,000 to the Liberal Party?”
Scott Morrison refused to give an answer. Instead he palmed the question off to Alan Tudge, the Minister responsible for the robdebt debacle.
Last week it was revealed that Scott Briggs’ Southern Strategy donated $165,000 to the Liberal Party.
Then days later Mr Briggs said it was a mistake.
The same Scott Briggs who is a close mate of Scott Morrison.
The same Scott Briggs who is leading a bid for the $1 billion visa processing tender.
The Leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese then asked a question to Mr Tudge: “..it goes to his last answer where he ignored the $165,000 donation from a private company, which seeks to, to quote him, "build and operate the visa system".
I say to the Minister: If it looks like a privatisation and smells like a privatisation, why won't the Minister concede that this is privatisation of our visa system by a major donor and mate of the Prime Minister?”
Make no mistake; this will be a privatisation of our visa system.
Today public servants process visas, if this tender goes ahead, they will lose their jobs and their roles will be performed by a private for-profit company.
This is the text book definition of privatisation.
The truth is that nobody thinks that selling off our visa system is a good idea.
Tony Abbott’s former Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin has been critical of the proposal, saying: "I tell you what, I don't know if I'd want to put our border security system at risk with a privatised entity."
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has warned that the Morrison Government’s plan to privatise Australia’s visa system could lead to another “robodebt’ debacle.
A former senior Immigration Department executive also warned of "immense" risks from outsourcing of visa processing.
It’s now time for Morrison and Dutton to abandon privatising our visa system.