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The government department under national scrutiny over its handling of offshore detention contracts says the allegations should be referred to the police and the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
Home Affairs has also sought to distance itself from allegations that its contractors in turn subcontracted services to Pacific nation politicians, saying the responsibility rested with the companies engaged by the Commonwealth rather than the government itself.
Detainees inside the Manus Island centre in 2013.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Calls for a royal commission into offshore processing deals are growing, as Coalition frontbenchers continue to fend off questions over Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s knowledge of a contract awarded to an Australian businessman he was allegedly warned was under a bribery investigation when Dutton was home affairs minister.
“Any allegations, accompanied by any relevant evidence, should be referred to the Australian Federal Police or the National Anti-Corruption Commission,” said a departmental spokesperson.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil on Tuesday also invoked the new national corruption watchdog over revelations in the Home Truths investigative series published by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age and broadcast by 60 Minutes, saying that while she would speak more fully on the coverage soon, the government had no tolerance for corruption.
The series of allegations involving Home Affairs and the companies it contracted to run immigration detention facilities in Nauru and Papua New Guinea includes claims a Nauruan official received more than $120,000 in suspect payments from subcontractors hired with the approval of Home Affairs.
The department said the Commonwealth did not have a contractual relationship with subcontractors working in regional processing, and that the head contractor was ultimately responsible for the delivery of all services.
It also said the payment of invoices for services delivered under a government contract was subject to a detailed verification process.
“The Department’s regional processing contract management has been subject to significant external scrutiny and internal review over the lifespan of regional processing arrangements. Where areas for improvement have been identified, the Department has taken action to remediate,” the spokesperson said.
Independent federal MP Kylea Tink wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to request a royal commission into the allegations, joining several other MPs from across the political spectrum calling for an independent public inquiry.
“The latest revelations regarding Home Affairs, PNG and Nauru politicians and offshore processing companies are yet further proof that nothing less than a Royal Commission will get to the bottom of the sorry saga that has been offshore detention,” Tink said.
When asked during a press conference whether Dutton needed to explain his knowledge of the allegations, some of which relate to the time he was home affairs minister, shadow treasurer Angus Taylor read from a prepared answer that it was a matter for the department, and would likely be canvassed in upcoming Senate estimates hearings.
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