Government workers will enjoy a three-day junket on the taxpayers dime.
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal has invited 304 members to the Novotel Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast, according to the Herald Sun.
Between flights, food and beverages and accommodation over May 28, 29 and 30 the expected cost of the weekend is $500,000.
Administrative Appeals Tribunal has invited 304 members, with 224 staff and 63 senior and specialist support having accepted the invitation
An AAT spokeswoman told the publication: ‘following a tender process to meet mandatory requirements and to ensure that the booking represented the best value for money due to the ability to offer a competitive rate compared with metropolitan venues.’
The hotel describes itself as a ‘four star beachfront resort property’.
It can fit 1,400 people in its 361 suites and sits amongst 36 hectares of bushland.
The AAT has made headlines recently after Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton admitted to being ‘incredibly frustrated’ with the government body.
Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB earlier this weeky, Mr Dutton said regular Australians were being ‘taken for a ride’.
‘I think taxpayers, the Australian public, and most importantly the victims and their families, are being taken for a ride,’ he said.
‘We’re working as hard as we can to kick people out of our country who’ve done the wrong thing.’
Between flights, food and beverages and accommodation over May 28, 29 and 30 the expected cost of the weekend is $500,000
The junket will be held between May 28 and May 30 at Novotel Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast
According to The Australian, the ATT overturned the decision of 164 cases of foreign-born criminals that were made by Peter Dutton’s delegates.
This includes 17 rapists, eight murderes and 33 drug dealers.
The AAT defended their decision on their website.
AAT wrote that recent coverage ‘incorrectly reported’ that the independent body ‘set aside more decisions than it affirmed’.
‘In 2016-17, the AAT finalised 19,077 reviews of visa decisions made by the Department of Home Affairs,’ the tribunal wrote.
‘Of these, 31 per cent set aside, varied or remitted the decision made by the original decision maker, 44 per cent affirmed the decision made by the original decision maker, and the remaining 25 per cent of cases were withdrawn, dismissed or not reviewable.’
The AAT has made headlines recently after Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton admitted to being ‘incredibly frustrated’ at the government body