Where’s the queue?
Don’t take my word for it, listen to a Liberal supporter — Scott Wickstein thinks Philip Ruddock should be sacked, and notes a growing list of reasons why.
We may soon need to add another one:
The ALP has demanded to know whether the Immigration Minister used his discretion to grant permanent residency to a man who donated $3,000 to the Liberal Party.
The question sparked a fiery exchange in the Federal Parliament today.
Labor’s Laurie Ferguson told Parliament the man’s application for permanent residency had been rejected four times before, including twice by the Immigration Minister himself.
… Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock told Parliament the visa was granted for valid reasons and the function referred to was not a fundraiser.
Hansard is not yet available, but that answer seems a bit slippery. It doesn’t matter whether the dinner was a fundraiser, if the man made a $3000 donation to the Liberals. I don’t care where he handed you the cheque, Ruddock, it’s whether the cheque exists that counts.
Clarke and Dawe were spot-on with their impersonation of Ruddock. Let’s hope he doesn’t get away with it this time.
UPDATE [4:09pm]: After initially insisting that he “I don’t remember every case that’s been raised with me”, Ruddock’s memory has returned:
Mr Ruddock later said he did intervene in Mr Hbeich’s case.
“It is a matter in which I had been approached by the honourable member for Parramatta, Mr Ross Cameron, in fact I was approached by him before the function it is alleged that I attended,” he said.
Mr Ruddock said he attended the function with other members of parliament and another federal minister.
“I might say, having checked my recollection and the other minister’s recollection, neither of us have any knowledge of donations being made at that particular function,” he said.
“Let me make the further point … that I received no further approach by Mr Ross Cameron after the function.”
While this response is somewhat better than his initial “I have no idea”, one very important question remains.
Has Mr Hbeich ever donated to the Liberal party? If the answer is no, then the problem is solved. However, the fact that Ruddock hasn’t denied the man made a donation suggests that the answer is yes. In that case, the relationship between Cameron, Ruddock and Hbeich must be thoroughly trawled. It doesn’t look good.
