Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. I refer to his previous answer and to reports that a consortium led by Pacific Blue Capital will bid for a $1 billion contract to privatise the government's visa-processing system. Does the Minister for Home Affairs have a conflict of interest in relation to this $1 billion government contract, given the minister's former senior adviser is now director of special projects at Pacific Blue Capital? If so, how will this conflict be managed?

Mr Pyne interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will cease interjecting.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. In any open tender process, anybody is able to make application or to submit a tender for that work—unless the opposition is suggesting that people should be excluded on a particular basis. Then they'd need to put that forward to articulate that. I don't think that's what they're suggesting. I think this is more to do with some sort of smear campaign to try and push back against what we have raised legitimately in this question time today in relation to this Leader of the Opposition and questions about his character. That's what I think this is about. This is more about some sort of deflection from the criticism rightly levelled at this Leader of the Opposition during question time today.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs on a point of order.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, the point of order is direct relevance. None of what the minister is saying has anything to—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs will resume his seat. The minister has the call. He's finished his answer.