Subjects: ALP corruption investigation; Anthony Albanese reference for character case; Federal Court matter; Queensland LNP President.

EO&E..............

RAY HADLEY:

Most Thursdays we try to talk to Home Affairs Minister, Member for Dickson in Queensland, Peter Dutton. The Minister is online. Minister, good morning to you.

PETER DUTTON:

Good morning Ray.

RAY HADLEY:

Let's start with the Australian Labor Party in Victoria – in the news all week following what happened on 60 Minutes and The Age report on Sunday – branch stacking.

I don't know if you've been able to catch up with it; Anthony Albanese's come out at a doorstop and said this Anthony Byrne bloke is a fantastic champion for the Labor Party who's served the Labor Party well and I think he's suggesting he should be immune from criticism.

PETER DUTTON:

Well Ray, I just think Anthony Albanese has shown poor judgement and instincts on a number of matters – whether it's writing references for gang members or, you know, his long term opposition to turning back boats – he just doesn't have the right instinct or judgement.   

My experience with Anthony Byrne has been a positive one I've got to say. He's the Deputy Chair of the Intelligence Committee and I've found him fantastic to work with, a very decent bloke and I think Andrew Hastie would say the same thing as the Chair of that Committee.

But there are problems within the Labor Party. I mean people talk about branch stacking, it's not branch stacking, it's corruption and people I think will go to jail for some of their activities here. So it's got a long way to play out yet.

RAY HADLEY:

Yeah, but would you agree, given you're almost support of Anthony Albanese in relation to Mr Byrne about what a wonderful fellow he is and all this – that people can behave in a certain way in certain circumstances and then in other circumstances they have an entirely different manner? I mean, his criticism of Bill Shorten, his criticism of other people within his own Party. He hasn't written text messages about you, as best I can see, but he's certainly given it to all the others privately.

PETER DUTTON:

Well, people have to be held to account for their actions and you're right, I mean if somebody's done the wrong thing – even if they're otherwise a good bloke, then their held to account for that. So we'll see what happens.

But I think the difficulty now is that it just exposes…I mean the influence of the union bosses in the Labor Party, the way in which some of those practices work and look, you know, every political Party's got their faults, but where the unions are involved – the CMFEU and others – I mean these guys play a serious game and you really have to question why Mr Albanese won't deal with it? There'd be a whole heap beneath the surface that we just don't see.

I mean Simon Crean is a former ACTU leader. When he was the Labor Leader he tried to reform the Party. Kim Beazley, you know, another decent person who tried to reform the Labor Party and the union bosses stared him down as well. So these corruption issues I really think rock at the heart of the Labor leadership of Anthony Albanese and I think he's in a lot of strife.

RAY HADLEY:

Okay. Let's get back to Anthony Albanese on another matter. Simon Benson has got a story about him intervening on behalf of a former criminal gang member who remains in Villawood Detention Centre. That's not the same bloke where there's a matter before the Federal Court at the moment, is it? That's been critical of you?

PETER DUTTON:

No. I've seen that report in The Australian today; as I understand it's a separate matter.

But, the history of this; I mean you remember back there was a Labor Member of Parliament, Kelvin Thomson, who wrote a glowing reference for Tony Mokbel at the time and he ended up resigning over that.

So I don't know what is going on in Anthony Albanese's office or whether Mr Albanese saw this himself, but as the allegation I read in the paper today says, he's provided a letter of support for this individual and you've got a question again that sort of, just the judgment of the man.

RAY HADLEY:

Now, back to the other one, the Federal Court matter that I referred to earlier – and you can help me with my understanding of this. The Federal Court has made a decision via Justice Geoffrey Flick, in relation to an Iranian. The indications are that the Federal Government will be appealing that decision and yet it looks like you're being threatened with being found guilty of contempt simply for saying, you know, you won't react to the orders until the appeal is heard? Is that my understanding? Is that correct?

PETER DUTTON:

Look Ray, it's a matter before the court at the moment and I could be a decision maker in relation to this matter, so there's not a great deal I could say.

We've spoken before about the Government's desire, my desire, to make sure that we can keep Australians safe and in particular, women and children. I've had a real focus on making sure that we can, you know, deport people that I believe pose a threat according to the law. I want to make our country a safer place and I think we're doing that by the 501 cancellation process of people who aren't Australian citizens, but have committed offences against Australians.

In relation to this particular matter, it's before the court and obviously the lawyers who act on my behalf deal with these matters in court every day and they'll go through that process. But I'm not going to act outside of the court rulings or outside of the law. We take legal advice from the Australian Government Solicitor and the solicitors that we engage and we go from there.

RAY HADLEY:

Now, in your home state – I've been scratching my head for the last three days how someone connected to the LNP, the non-Parliamentary President Mr Hutchinson, can be under the employ of Clive Palmer who has tried to undermine the LNP at every opportunity since forming the Palmer Party or Palmer United Party? Are you surprised as a Queenslander that so many people connected to the LNP are employed, or under contract in some way shape or form to Mr Palmer?   

PETER DUTTON:

Well Ray look, honestly the only focus I've got is to make sure that Deb Frecklington wins the election and anybody that's not involved in that activity within the LNP shouldn't be in the LNP to be honest.

We're there to get a better government for Queensland. I think Deb Frecklington has shown guts and determination and a real quality in the last week and I think people want that in a Premier. I really think now people are looking at Deb in a different way, in a very positive way. I think she can get momentum from here and go on to win the election, but she's got to have the support of the team and I'd encourage everybody in that direction.

Now Ray, I'm going to be interrupted by division again today I'm sorry.

RAY HADLEY:

Okay.

PETER DUTTON:

This might be the Greens again but….

RAY HADLEY:

…I want to go on with you about Hutchinson because…

PETER DUTTON:

….okay well, I'm happy to come back to you, but I just have to race to this division now. Thanks mate. Thank you.

RAY HADLEY:

Okay. You go. Thanks a lot. That's Peter Dutton. Hes got to go to a division.

[break]

RAY HADLEY:

The Home Affairs Minister is back after a division. Minister, good morning again.

PETER DUTTON:

Yeah sorry about that Ray.

RAY HADLEY:

Green's again or something else?

PETER DUTTON:

Ah it was actually the Greens and I think Bob Katter. So an interesting mix and we're back out of the chamber now.

RAY HADLEY:

Don't tell me Bob's in bed with the Green's please.

PETER DUTTON:

I think it actually was Andrew Wilkie who was praising Bob Katter so the Independents sometimes come together. So there you go.

RAY HADLEY:

Sometimes.

The one final thing, I won't keep you long, I know you are busy.

David Hutchinson, the non-parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party, the President in Queensland, should he resign effective immediately? Not just on the basis he works for Clive Palmer, but on the basis that there are allegations and some believe to be quite true allegations, he'd been trying to undermine the leader Deb Frecklington.

PETER DUTTON:

Well Ray, the short answer is that yes, he should, I'm sorry to say.

Look, the problem is not with Clive Palmer. He doesn't have any influence, I don't think he seeks to have any influence on the LNP, but Dave Hutchinson who I've known for a long time, he's an incredibly decent person, he's given a lot to the LNP, but the branch members are outraged that the President of the LNP would be involved in a campaign to destabilise the state leader and he must resign. I think he will reflect on his position and do the right thing.

This is a serious issue and Deb Frecklington I think has shown real guts and determination in staring down this move. I think she has shown the sorts of characteristics that the Queensland people want in their premier and it's unacceptable to have a situation where polling is commissioned by the Party and then for the purposes of releasing it against the state leader or to destabilise the state leader. So in that circumstance his position is untenable.

It was untenable before because you can't work in a direct employment relationship for the principal of another political party and then be the President of our Party at the same time. I think he accepted that and he advised me last night that he was going to resign from that position of employment, but he needs to resign now from the position of Party President.

He needs to do it sooner rather than later so that we can get back to the core business that Deb Frecklington wants to get back to and that is putting forward the policies that will get Queensland started again, get the economy going, grow jobs and keep kids safe in Queensland.