Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Western Australia) | Hansard source

On 27 February this year, it was reported that Mr Clive Palmer had purchased a Mercedes-Benz 770 Grosser Offener Tourenwagen used by Adolf Hitler. This was purchased from an unnamed Russian billionaire. On 28 February, I wrote to the Minister for Home Affairs to ask that she take action under the Customs Act to prevent this import and use all legal avenues available to the Commonwealth to prevent it. The minister released a statement saying: 'No-one gets a special deal, and the rules apply to all. Mr Palmer will have to comply fully with our import, customs and sanctions laws.' Mr Palmer and his spokesperson have refused to say if he has attempted this purchase, is still working on this purchase, or if this purchase was by any of his companies. And then, on 4 March, Mr Palmer threatened legal action against the Minister for Home Affairs, which makes so interesting the letter I received in response from the Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs on 11 March. The assistant minister wrote that he could not comment due to privacy reasons: 'I cannot comment on individual transactions or importations to Australia.' Curious. No action. No comments. He said I should report it to a website. I had written to the minister, and the response I got back was, 'Report it to a website.' This is the Scott Morrison 'not my job' approach that is throughout this entire government. This government should either act or legislate to stop Mr Palmer. I seek leave to table the correspondence.

Leave granted.

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