5 years ago
LABOR CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO PALADIN CONTRACTS
SHAYNE NEUMANN MP
I have asked the Australian National Audit Office to launch an urgent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Department of Home Affairs’ procurement of garrison support and welfare services in Papua New Guinea.
These contracts total $423 million of taxpayers’ money which Peter Dutton said he had “no sight” of and claims concerns about the matter are a “distraction”. Why is Peter Dutton running a protection racquet?
New reports reveal the Department of Home Affairs demanded the removal of the an executive at Paladin in September 2018 – before extending their contract with the company in January 2019 for an extra $109 million just four months later.
This is a stark contradiction to the evidence heard at Senate Estimates on Monday with departmental officials saying they were “satisfied with their (Paladin’s) performance” and that “we're quite happy with the services that they're undertaking.”
Dutton’s Department also stated they have “strict performance management regime to surveil their (Paladin’s) performance” however documents released under Freedom of Information laws reveal that Paladin is only required to "self-monitor and self-report” its performance.
This is close to half a billion dollars of taxpayers’ money that Peter Dutton is trying to sweep under the rug and claim there’s nothing to see here.
Labor is acutely aware of Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton’s abysmal management of Australian-funded regional processing centres and their failure to negotiate other third country resettlement options, leaving vulnerable people languishing in indefinite detention.
My letter to the ANAO can be found here.
These contracts total $423 million of taxpayers’ money which Peter Dutton said he had “no sight” of and claims concerns about the matter are a “distraction”. Why is Peter Dutton running a protection racquet?
New reports reveal the Department of Home Affairs demanded the removal of the an executive at Paladin in September 2018 – before extending their contract with the company in January 2019 for an extra $109 million just four months later.
This is a stark contradiction to the evidence heard at Senate Estimates on Monday with departmental officials saying they were “satisfied with their (Paladin’s) performance” and that “we're quite happy with the services that they're undertaking.”
Dutton’s Department also stated they have “strict performance management regime to surveil their (Paladin’s) performance” however documents released under Freedom of Information laws reveal that Paladin is only required to "self-monitor and self-report” its performance.
This is close to half a billion dollars of taxpayers’ money that Peter Dutton is trying to sweep under the rug and claim there’s nothing to see here.
Labor is acutely aware of Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton’s abysmal management of Australian-funded regional processing centres and their failure to negotiate other third country resettlement options, leaving vulnerable people languishing in indefinite detention.
My letter to the ANAO can be found here.