Radio host Alan Jones has criticised Malcolm Turnbull over his comments about Peter Dutton’s meeting with a Chinese billionaire.
Huang Xiangmo paid tens of thousands of dollars to a lobbyist in 2016 to secure a private lunch with Mr Dutton when he was immigration minister in a failed attempt to fast track his citizenship application, it has been claimed.
On Tuesday, former prime minister Mr Turnbull pressured his replacement Scott Morrison to urgently investigate the meeting, saying he was ‘very, very concerned.’
Radio host Alan Jones (pictured) has criticised Malcolm Turnbull over his comments abou Peter Dutton’s meeting with a Chinese billionaire
Jones, who has criticised Turnbull in the past for commenting on politics after he was ousted last August, savaged the former PM on radio 2GB on Wednesday morning.
‘Just as the polls turn around, Malcolm Turnbull comes out again,’ he said.
‘Malcolm Turnbull, eh… he’s just a grub.’
Jones suggested Turnbull should be removed from the Liberal Party.
He said: ‘I don’t know why people don’t just expel these people from the party. That’s what should happen.’
Mr Huang paid lobbyist Santo Santoro and then met with Mr Dutton at a Chinese restaurant in Sydney, according to an investigation by the ABC’s Four Corners.
The minister has denied his citizenship bid was discussed at the meeting.
Mr Huang lost his bid after ASIO raised his links to the Chinese Communist Party and he was later banned from Australia on national security advice.
The investigation also said Mr Dutton approved a request from Mr Dastyari to fast track Mr Huang’s family’s application and allowed them a private citizenship ceremony inside the former Labor senator’s parliament house office.
Mr Morrison has said he’s not worried about the meeting with Mr Dutton.
‘I have spoken to Peter Dutton about this. There are no issues here that troubled me at all,’ Mr Morrison told reporters in Tasmania on Tuesday.
Former prime minister Mr Turnbull (pictured) on Tuesday pressured his replacement Scott Morrison to urgently investigate the meeting, saying he was ‘very, very concerned.’
Billionaire Chinese property developer Huang Xiangmo (pictured with former foreign minister Julie Bishop) allegedly paid former Howard government minister Santo Santoro $20,000 to have his citizenship application presented to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton
Mr Dutton, now home affairs minister, said he agreed to the meeting because Mr Huang was a significant leader in the Australian Chinese community.
‘I’ve never received a dollar from this individual. I had that one meeting with him over lunch. I haven’t seen him since. What’s he got from me? Well, he’s now offshore,’ Mr Dutton told reporters in Rockhampton.
But Mr Turnbull said Mr Dutton and Santoro – a former Liberal government minister – have a lot to explain about the ‘very troubling’ revelations.
‘Scott Morrison is the prime minister and you can’t wave this off and say it is all part of gossip and the bubble. This is the national security of Australia,’ Mr Turnbull told reporters.
‘I think it is very, very concerning and very troubling for anyone.
‘This has to be addressed at the highest level of security, priority, urgency by the prime minister. The buck stops with him.’
Mr Morrison said Mr Huang had his Australian visa cancelled while he was out of the country.
Mr Dutton (pictured), now home affairs minister, said he agreed to the meeting because Mr Huang was a significant leader in the Australian Chinese community
‘So if the object was foreign interference, well, the exact opposite is what has occurred,’ he said.
‘I think when it comes to these issues our government’s record is squeaky clean.’
Labor senator Sam Dastyari, who was forced to resign after it was revealed he told Mr Huang he was under investigation, tweeted a link to a news story about the meeting with Mr Dutton and said: ‘I resigned for less.’
Labor argues Huang and Dutton’s meeting strikes at the integrity of Australia’s immigration system and Mr Dutton’s performance as a minister.
‘(This is) one of the ministers in charge of national security where it is cash for access and meeting people connected to the Chinese government. This is very unhealthy,’ Labor leader Bill Shorten told reporters in Gladstone.