Did Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo try to buy his way to Australian citizenship? Former PM Malcolm Turnbull demands successor investigate allegations against immigration boss
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison had defended the government’s record, citing Turnbull’s foreign interference laws
Turnbull, who introduced foreign interference laws in 2017, said the allegations contained in a Four Corners report regarding a meeting between Dutton and Huang following a payment to former Liberal minister Santo Santoro were “very troubling”.
“The allegation is that Santo Santoro received money in return for securing privileged access to the minister on behalf of Huang Xiangmo and all of that, in circumstances where there has been rising concern about lobbyists, about foreign influence,” Turnbull said. “Look, Peter Dutton has got a lot to explain about this.”
Earlier in the day, Morrison had defended the government’s record citing Turnbull’s foreign interference laws.
You can’t wave this off … This is the national security of Australia
“I think when it comes to these issue, our government’s record is squeaky clean,” Morrison said.