R v Peter Julian Engel. The Government has finetuned the scheme after feedback on the draft laws. The Assistant Minister for Treasury Michael Sukkar has confirmed this morning that he has asked for an investigation into his own office after claims of branch-stacking emerged. Mr Sukkar also apologised to Liberal senator Jane Hume after disparaging comments were made public. Local Liberal councillor Kylie Speers said that "for one" election, Mr Sukkar's office arranged for her printed campaign material. The excellent report by Nick McKenzie , Joel Tozer and Paul Sakkal in The Age details leaked documents and tapes, and points out: The most serious allegations facing Mr Sukkar, the Federal Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing, and Mr [Kevin] Andrews involves their dealings with Liberal backroom powerbroker Marcus Bastiaan. Independent MP Helen Haines said it was clear trying to retrofit an investigation process into a department without sufficient powers, such as to compel witnesses, was never going to work. Staff were allegedly placed in the office of Victorian MP Kevin Andrews. Is it any wonder that Michael Sukkar has voted against a Federal ICAC? Mr Sukkar has retained the support of the Morrison government, despite evidence showing he backed a scheme to give taxpayer-funded jobs to factional operatives in the office of Liberal MP and party elder Kevin Andrews in 2017 and 2018. This staff was alleged to have been funded by the taxpayer in his own office and Kevin Andrews' office. [25], Sukkar was accused of branch stacking, of which he was cleared of "serious misuse" of Commonwealth funds when it moved to formal investigation. Furthermore, Sukkar said the Department of Finance's independent review conducted in 2020 "did not find any breach or improper conduct." Minister for Housing's solution to affordability. [35] Upon the defeat of the Coalition, he was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Social Services by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in June of that year. Corruption expert Geoffrey Watson, SC (a former counsel assisting for the NSW ICAC) is reported to have described the Bastiaan memo endorsed by Mr Sukkar as "prima facie evidence of the misuse of taxpayers' money". Mr Sukkar acknowledged that many of the problems in remote communities pre-existed the cashless debit card, but said that since its abolition they were now "orders of magnitude worse." Office details Connect Electorate details. Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar was reportedly well aware of the misuse of taxpayer money to boost his faction's power, and a group of state and territory level governments plan to join forces in order to achieve net zero. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. He spent six years in London working for The Guardian. The member for the east Melbourne seat of Deakin is facing calls from Labor to resign from federal cabinet, scrutiny from an internal Liberal Party probe as well as a departmental audit. Our usual processes were followed in relation to identification of conflicts in advance of accepting instructions, and we are confident that there is no bias or conflict of any kind, personal or professional, on the part of the firm or any of the individuals who worked on this matter, the firm said in a statement, provided via the finance department. They need to know whether their money was misused against the law. Will it be Anglicare, St Vinnies, Amnesty International, Oxfam Australia, Tearfund Australia, Sacred Heart or any of the charities that you support? It was only after the Victorian Supreme Court gave the three a second chance to apologise that they did. The finance department said the terms and conditions of the panel known as the legal services panel and the commonwealth procurement rules both require firms to identify conflicts of interest and disclose them. The treatment of Sukkar, who commanded the largest swing towards him of any Liberal MP at the 2016 election, has already ignited fury among the Victorian Liberal Party, including in its . Michael Sukkar (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas) Assistant Treasurer and Housing Minister Michael Sukkar is using taxpayer funds to defend a defamation action. Good morning to you. [33], In December 2020, Sukkar was given further responsibilities, being sworn in to the roles of Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, Social and Community Housing. Not the version from his slick glossy pamphlets. The posturing and subject matter is vulgar and inaccurate.". Shadow Social Services Minister Michael Sukkar says Roshena Campbell will be an "outstanding" candidate for Aston. All times AEDT (GMT +11). The point of elections and voting for a candidate is to have the people's will reflected in the actions of our government. Did you know about what was going on with charities and the ACNC? When you see the amount of homeless people around Eastland, Costco, Ringwood Lake Park, you have to ask why Sukkar can't even pretend to care about this issue. While he and his donors care about their multiple investment properties, it does nothing for the people of Deakin who want to buy their castle and who have been forced to swallow a bitter pill. What if you're a single mum on the average income of $45,000 and even on a 2% deposit won't be able to service a mortgage for a $750,000+ loan? That doesnt occur, generally, in circumstances where the government is not so keen on pressing ahead, he said. Theres lots of people with commentary on the exposure draft the exposure draft was an exposure draft for a reason, he told Sky News. BREAKING NEWS: Officials have let the cat out of the bag - there is no difference between the Cashless Debit Card and the Government's new 'SmartCard'. "Mr Pham's primary responsibility was to design and oversee the production of newsletters, brochures and other communication collateral sent to constituents. The outlets alleged Mr Sukkar had intimate knowledge of a long-running scheme in which his close friend, brother, and factional supporters were paid by taxpayers for political work. Michael Sukkar: Liberal: 2013-present Election results Elections in the 2020s 2022. They claimed it was advocating lighter sentences for terrorists as part of 'ideological experiments'. Maybe there is a reason that Josh Frydenberg wouldn't confirm his trust in Sukkar. In November 2021 it was reported that new material has come to light that suggests Mr Sukkar knew more then he originally said when interviewed in 2020. But when Michael Sukkar implies he will take legal action against The Age, gags Parliament from forcing him to be accountable, and strongly resists the releasing of reports, the only thing we can do is to vote such a shady-looking, untrustworthy character out of office. Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing Michael Sukkar at question time on Monday. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since September 2013, representing the Division of Deakin in Victoria for the Liberal Party. This helps reduce the burden on the state. The Age and Herald have also uncovered the role of Mr Sukkar's office in facilitating the printing of campaign material for Liberal-aligned local councillors in Victoria in 2016. [42], Sukkar also intervened during the development of the 2021 Australian census to exclude questions about gender and sexuality despite these being recommended for inclusion by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Authorised by Michael Sukkar MP, 5/602 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham VIC 3132. twitter; facebook; youtube; instagram; Close Menu. Under parliamentary rules, electorate office staff cannot work on party political matters. Sign up to get our new Explainer newsletter here. Were working to restore it. When added to sports rorts, Building Better Regions rorts, female change room rorts, what's one more rorting of taxpayer dollars for Sukkar or the Liberals political benefit? I have never authorised my staff to undertake activities contrary to applicable policies and guidelines, when they are being paid to serve the constituents of the Deakin electorate, Mr Sukkar said. He insists he has no knowledge or involvement in any wrongdoing or abuse of public funds. Taxpayer funds are not meant to be used to pay for any work done to facilitate donations for a political party. Shadow Social Services Minister Michael Sukkar says Roshena Campbell will be an "outstanding" candidate for Aston. Examples include lobbying heavily for the Menzies branch to retain Kevin Andrews (Keith Wolahan won comfortably) and supporting state Member for Kew, Tim Smith. The emails also reveal the involvement of Mr Pham and Mr Sukkar's office in a behind-the-scenes plan to create political smear sheets. ", "Michael Sukkar at Australian Christian Lobby", "Conservatives target parental rights in same-sex marriage bill", "Michael Sukkar: any hate speech is the fault of marriage equality advocates | OUTInPerth Gay and Lesbian News and Culture", "Liberal MP calls for sexuality questions in census after ABS dumped them on minister's guidance", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Sukkar&oldid=1131466126, Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia, Members of the Australian House of Representatives, Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Deakin, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 January 2023, at 08:05. Key points: The two-bedroom apartment was built in about 2015 and carries price hopes of $500,000 to $550,000. A spokesman for Sukkar told the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age that the ministers employment was disclosed publicly on his personal website and on parliaments website. Fascinating answers to perplexing questions delivered to your inbox every week. So much for cutting red tape. Sukkar has been a member of the House of Representatives since September 2013, representing the Division of Deakin in Victoria for the Liberal Party. Michael Sukkar Date of Birth1981-09-11 RoleFederal MP for Deakin, Shadow Minister for Social Services Shadow Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme Shadow Minister for Housing Shadow Minister for Homelessness SpouseAnna Sukkar Children2 StateVictoria ElectorateDeakin PartyLiberal Mp TypeFederal Representative TypeSitting Member The fake flyer also pictured Mr Blackwood with moderate state Liberal leader Matthew Guy. During this period, Mr Pham was engaged sporadically depending upon the constituent communication workload," Mr Sukkar's statement said. Housing Minister Michael Sukkar says the Coalition's housing policies have got first home buyers to their highest levels in 15 years. It turns out that all the schemes have likely contributed to increased prices and inflation, making housing more expensive for the average Aussie. Michael Sukkar promised 5 car parks in Deakin from the $660 million Commuter Car Park Projects fund. Shadow Social Services Minister Michael Sukkar says Roshena Campbell will be an "outstanding" candidate for Aston. Party president Robert Clark chaired the meeting in which members agreed to an audit of all members signed up in the past five years as part of a wide-ranging investigation. Even though the inquiry by the Department of Finance cleared Sukkar, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. However, one has been cancelled and the rest are barely underway. Mr Pham's LinkedIn account shows he worked in full-time roles for a real estate advertising company during the same period that Mr Sukkar has said Mr Pham worked "as a casual Electorate Officer in the Deakin Electorate Office". Johns, a former IPA fellow is on the record calling low income and Aboriginal woman "cash cows"[1]. Mitchell Woods (Canterbury) 8. What if your family doesn't own their own home? TOTAL TITLES: North Providence 7 (7 Division II), Juanita Sanchez 2 (2 Division III) LAST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP WIN: North . The committee voted to summon several staffers and recruiters at a future meeting to explain their actions. The government has recently touted the "rule of law" as an excuse to not have an inquiry into the allegations surrounding another minister. "I think the party is very enthusiastic about our candidate in Aston and very pleased with someone who's going to be a great champion for that community," he told Sky News Austalia. Crossbench MPs are renewing their push for a federal integrity watchdog with the kind of powers to investigate further allegations about Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkars faction misusing taxpayer resources to strengthen his political power base. [2][3] He completed a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University in 2004 and Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne in 2010. It is my great privilege to be representing the electorate of Deakin in the Parliament of Australia. That was dealt with a year ago by the Department of Finance, which found there was nothing further to investigate, he told reporters in Newcastle. With flashy Facebook announcements - that have since been deleted. [13] Labor MP Tim Watts said in response that the remarks showed the Coalition was "back to where Joe Hockey started on housing affordability". Thanks to an investigation by The Age and Nine's 60 Minutes, we now know of further attempts by Sukkar to gain more power within the party. There's more to come about what Michael Sukkar has been up to. Michael Sven Sukkar (born 11 September 1981) is an Australian politician who served as the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing from 2019, and as the Minister for Homelessness, Social and Community Housing from 2020. What's more he has lied about it and tried to cover it up. As the electorate neighbouring Aston, I have a lot to do with the Aston community as well and I can say with Roshena Campbell, she is going to work day and night to earn their trust between now and the election day., Roshena Campbell is an outstanding candidate for Aston: Michael Sukkar. This is just another example of the shady looking character Sukkar is. Liberal party branch-stacking: fears push for virtual state council could kill off audit, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. My online community survey takes just a few minutes to complete and you can also sign up to my e-newsletter to receive regular updates. Money was abruptly pulled from programs that funded community legal centres and womens shelters. He intends to be around for a long time, as he shimmies up the greasy totem pole and his parliamentary leader cannot pretend that it is purely a matter for the backroom boys. There was an independent investigation into both Mr Andrews office, and Mr Sukkars offices, and the (department of) finance investigation found that there was no serious misuse of taxpayers resources, he said. They have no ideas and offer no real solutions, even though there's plenty of options to tackle demand side pressures on housing. The Assistant Treasurer said on Monday the review also heard from multiple former and current staff members who all contradicted the claims made by 60 Minutes sources. The revelations come as the fallout from the Liberal Party branch stacking scandal revealed on Sunday night by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes led to Monday's resignation from the party of powerbroker Marcus Bastiaan. Sukkars parliamentary biography says: Prior to entering the Parliament, Michael Sukkar spent seven years working as a lawyer with the firm, Ashurst Australia (then known as Blake Dawson Waldron) where he was a Senior Associate, the biography reads. The Finance Department said in a statement in October 2020 that it had concluded there was no basis for further investigation or to refer the matter to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority. Michael Sukkar MP Subscribe to eNewsletter Stay up-to-date by signing up to receive Michael's eNewsletter. Michael Sukkar is not sorry, he just thinks he can get away with ignoring the law when it suits him. Michael Sukkar was preselected for Deakin for the 2013 election, as part of the Tony Abbott led "conservative resistance movement". The budget cannot be used to pay for party political activity. Source: ABC But Mr Sukkar stressed the announcement was just the latest support the Coalition was offering first-home buyers over. Under the Abbott government the Liberals restarted attacking charities. Now I think that most people agree that JobKeeper did save so many jobs, it did save so many businesses. Even with domestic violence on the rise. [17][18][19], Sukkar supported Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton during the Liberal leadership spill in August 2018, and had a pivotal role in removing then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The "investigation" by the Department of Finance was conducted by Ashurst. [14], In June 2017 Sukkar, Greg Hunt, and Alan Tudge faced the possibility of prosecution for contempt of court after criticising a court's sentencing of terrorists. 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