Sorry Saga - “It’s actually quite funny people thinking they know more than they actually do”

Bottom line here is that a Government Minister has done a favour for a prominent Liberal family. It’s highly suspicious, even putting aside whether previous donations were or were not a factor. It’s also not as though an average John Citizen with the same problem would get such a quick and decisive decision made as seems to have been the case here.

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So what you’re saying is she had a tourist visa which did not allow her to work. This was caught at immigration, because she had form for working on a tourist visa (which did not allow her to work). On being questioned, she admitted she did intend to work, in direct contravention of the conditions of her tourist visa. One quick call by a donor and Dutton granted her “in the interests of Australia” a tourist visa (on condition that she did not work, identical really to the non-work provision of the online visa she came in on, intending to ignore), and…she worked.

So basically, the only effect of what Dutton did was to grant her a tourist visa effectively identical to the one she already had (and was caught out on), so immigration would let her go, so she could come in and breach those visa conditions!

That’s all ridgey didge, then…

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Apparently, this is not the one they think is the dodgiest, and want an investigation into all the Visa’s he’s granted,… as there are other cases they think are way worse.

Take that for what you will.

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It’s not stop the boats anymore, it’s now “stop the planes”

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yep it is by my standards

so she was having an affair with Gil …well that is according to my sources or is that just my opinion …I must consult my reporting guru Caro

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Or, “Stop rich white Guys that donate to us losing the Au pair they are lusting after…”

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The French au pair would have had her name flagged in the border control systems. Staff at Adelaide airport must have been furious that they were overruled for following correct procedures.
As I understand it the other two ( who were not flagged in the system) said they would be doing some babysitting ( apparently for some mates of Dutton’s) which would have been in contravention of their tourist visas. A quick call to contacts and they may have retracted those words.
To that extent, the French au pair is the dodgiest.

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Is it possible that she is Jessica?

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Rabbit??

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Is it possible she is Sarah? (Concealing her outrageous French accent?)

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The more people do and get away with, the more they do. It doesn’t matter whether they are an ordinary Jo Bloggs or like Mr. McL getting a favour from a mate. People with connections in the right places, do deals and swap information all the time and get away with it, mostly.

Every now and again, some big fish goes for something, the majority of the time its brushed under the carpet.

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Secret emails reveal Peter Dutton defied advice to grant visa to au pair of AFL boss’s relative

Anthony Galloway, Rob Harris, Herald Sun
August 30, 2018 11:27am

HOME Affairs Minister Peter Dutton defied his own department’s advice in intervening to grant a visa to a French au pair staying with AFL boss Gillon McLachlan’s relative.

Secret emails between the relative, senior AFL executives and Mr Dutton’s office reveal Mr Dutton was warned of the “financial liability” to the Commonwealth in stopping the woman from being deported and letting her stay in Australia.

It can also be revealed the 27-year-old French national, Alexandra Deuwel, had previously been counselled by Australian authorities on not working in the country while on a tourist visa.

The emails show Mr Dutton’s intervention came after Mr McLachlan received an email from his relative in South Australia, Callum MacLachlan, which he then forwarded on to the AFL’s head of government relations, Jude Donnelly.

TAP HERE TO READ THE EMAILS <<

In an email to his relative Gil, Callum MacLachlan pleads the case for Ms Deuwel.

Gil then appears to forward the email to Ms Donnelly.

“There has clearly been a misunderstanding that she was intending to work for us when she is here to spend time with our family, as we consider her to be family,” one email says.

“A girl of outstanding character and integrity. She also made many friends in Adelaide and will spend time with them.

“What can we do to have this injustice resolved and have her tourist visa reinstated before she flies out tonight?”

Ms Deuwel was stopped and arrested by Australian Border Force officials at Adelaide Airport on October 31, 2015, after admitting she intended to work “voluntarily” in breach of her visitor visa.

“She stated that her main goal in coming to Australia is to (do) volunteer work. Client claimed she had made an appointment with the South Australian volunteer officer to seek volunteer work,” a departmental official wrote.

“Client was given an opportunity to comment on why her visa should not be cancelled. In response she stated that she was doing volunteer work only for this family and was not being paid so her visa should not be cancelled.”

Ms Donnelly emailed Mr Dutton’s chief of staff the next morning requesting assistance.

This sparked a series of hurried emails between the minister’s office and the ABF, resulting in Mr Dutton approving a new visa as the “aircraft doors were closed” just before he jetted off for a trip to the Middle East.

Mr Dutton stopped the deportation despite the Head of Strategic Border Command, Clive Murray, advising against granting the visa.

“SBC (Strategic Border Command) will be providing detail which does not support the Minister intervening,” one email from Mr Murray said.

In another email sent from one of Mr Dutton’s staffers to the department, it is made clear that Ms Deuwell needed to be again warned not to work.

“The Minister has also asked that, if he intervenes to grant a visa, that the client be very strongly counselled that they cannot work, even do volunteer or in-kind work, and that their visa would be liable for cancellation should they do so.”

The emails also reveal Mr Dutton had to quickly sign the documents to grant her a new visa on November 1, 2015, as he was taking off for a trip to the Middle East.

“The aircraft doors were closed behind the Minister the Duty Manager is walking back to his office and will scan all signed documents,” one bureaucrat said at 9.26pm.

Mr Dutton said earlier this week he received “hundreds of representations on individual migration matters from members of the public, organisations, journalists and other members of Parliament” every year.

“There are long standing intervention powers provided to Ministers to consider and deal with these representations. These powers were the same under the former Labor Government,” he said.

“I consider cases on their merits. Any suggestions cases are determined on any other basis, including whether I knew the individual who referred the matter, is completely ridiculous.”

The correspondence also reveals the au pair admitted to authorities that she would be doing work for the family in return for free accommodation.

In an email to Mr Dutton’s chief of staff, a ministerial staffer said Ms Deuwel had confirmed she would receive free accommodation from Mr MacLachlan’s relatives for three months in return for helping with the family’s children, cooking and riding their horses.

“On her last entry to Australia, the client was spoken to by ABF (Australian Border Force) and counselled regarded her work rights on a tourist visa,” one email says.

“The client was counselled not to undertake any form of work on a Tourist visa, including child minding.”

Labor senator Kimberley Kitching said the documents showed Mr Dutton’s intervention to stop the au pair from being deported “was anything but routine or all above board”.

“This whole affair is as dodgy as it gets,” Senator Kitching said.

“The Australian Border Force advised against the Minister intervening, and warned his intervention could have unknown financial consequences.

“Why did Dutton act against Border Force advice? Why did he expose the Australian taxpayer to this financial risk?

“Why did he put the integrity of his department and our borders at risk at the behest of a Liberal party donor?

“Dutton must front the Australian people today and fully explain his actions. It’s also time for Scott Morrison to step in and ensure his Minister comes clean.”

Callum is the second cousin of Mr McLachlan, although they spell their surnames differently.

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they are ■■■■■■■ slime bags…this ■■■■ has his head so far up Duttons ■■■■, he’s going to be sniffing ■■■■ for a month.

No wonder we couldnt get a proper look in to get a royal commission up and going to look into the corruption of ASADA. The ■■■■ who looked after them is just as corrupt

■■■■ me drunk

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Submissions to the Senate Inquiry close 31 August, scheduled to report 11September, the day after Parliamentary sittings reconvene. As yet, no hearing dates scheduled, but inconvenient for Gil with his finals duties. Senate may be less swayed than the judge in the Jackson Taylor case on such matters.
As to Dutton’s claim that he has dealt with hundreds of visas , it seems that only around 15 involved tourist visas. And the turnaround in the decision could be unprecedented. She was about to be put on a plane ( at cost to the airline) and Dutton was about to fly overseas.
But the children of the SA squattocracy would have been devastated!

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Bruce Francis is going to absolutely tee off on this (for a change) given made a huge submission to Dutton about a royal commission.

Must be a lot of McLachlan family money pouring back Dutton’s/Liberal party way

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The real issue here McLachlan’s misuse of AFL resources to pursue a private matter. As the Herald Sun reports he asked the AFL head of government relations, Jude Donnelly to take up his second cousin’s case with the AFL.
I always thought the AFL was there to run the game not to look after the interests of the CEO’s relations no matter how worthy they may be.
Misuse of AFL resources to further your family’s interest is corrupt.

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So, it’s a bit more than Gil using his connections to help his family out. In using his AFL account and involving AFL government relations officer, it has formally become a matter between the AFL and the government.
And, by the AFL identifying Sam Murray as under ASADA investigation, ASADA privacy obligations have been breached. The information sharing arrangement between the AFL and ASADA should be revoked.

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“volunteer work only for this family”. If not employing an illegal worker McLachlans should be done for slavery.

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And, if it’s payment in kind or cash in hand, it’s wage theft plus ripping off the ATO.

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