Minister Sukkar: Good morning, Michael. "Australians have had their say and, of course, the parliament should respect the result. It was only after the Victorian Supreme Court gave the three a second chance to apologise that they did. Australias finance department outsourced an investigation into allegations that the federal MP Michael Sukkar misused his taxpayer-funded staff to the assistant treasurers old law firm. Deakin returned a 66% Yes result for the Marriage Law Postal Survey yet when the bill was to be voted on, Michael Sukkar abstained. Are you a woman angry at the lack of progress on affordable childcare, housing, sexual harassment, domestic violence and gender equity? Bill Shorten says Labors targeting of trusts is about delivering a level playing field in tax. If there is any new information, no doubt that will be referred again to the finance department.. "The adverse impact of having this discussion, using their logic, since February this year has been a lot worse than if it . Deakin taxpayers haven't even gotten value for our money with barely any work done, cost blowouts and Sukkar handing $42 million up front with no proper assessments of the works of what our money was paying for. Even though the inquiry by the Department of Finance cleared Sukkar, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. That prompted Sukkar and Andrews, who denied the allegations, to refer themselves to the finance department to investigate whether there had been any misuse of their taxpayer-funded budget, a potential breach of parliamentary rules. Documents filed in the Federal Court allege Mr Sukkar was involved in placing factional operatives inside taxpayer-funded electorate office jobs to do Liberal Party work. Given Michael likes to criticise others' use of calculators, perhaps he should take the log out of his own eye when it comes to doing basic sums. [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. 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. The issue is that Michael Sukkar said he'd do something then didn't. Deakin deserves a local member who is focused on representing them. The seat of Deakin was considered a key seat for the 2019 election. Track. "I very much doubt that Sukkar can or should remain a minister of the Crown. Keeping in touch with your views and opinions helps me to represent you, and I encourage you to provide me with your regular feedback. 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. Jett Woodward (Newcastle) 11. The report also claimed a leaked memo from Mr Bastiaan revealed a plan to build a Bastiaan-Sukkar faction inside of Federal MP Kevin Andrews' office. While it is unclear if this was done by Mr Sukkar's office, it appears it had at least some role facilitating the campaigns of local Liberal council candidates in 2016. Crossbench MPs want stronger federal corruption commission after Sukkar allegations. Chief Executive of the Community Council for Australia David Crosbie sums it up well, "Sukkar and others are opposed to charities being involved in advocacy, but the reality is hundreds of thousands of people in Australia give to charity to support exactly that."[2]. The day after their party, Scott Morrison then went on to win the leadership contest. Mr Sukkar defended giving his close friend work due to his "skill set and performance" as a designer. They have no ideas and offer no real solutions, even though there's plenty of options to tackle demand side pressures on housing. By not respecting Deakin's clear majority vote, Sukkar once again showed disdain for the will of his constituents. Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar said the changes were necessary to stop some organisations using their "privileged position as charities" to engage in, promote or condone criminal . Under parliamentary rules, electorate office staff cannot work on party political matters. Not the version from his slick glossy pamphlets. 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 . Good morning to you. Asked how often he was paid by Mr Sukkar's office, he declined to answer, referring the questions to Mr Sukkar. PO Box 232 Mitcham, VIC, 3132 . She says the governments preferred model wouldnt be able to examine the allegations against Mr Sukkar or branch-stacking accusations being levelled at Labors Anthony Byrne and state ALP politicians in the Victorian IBAC. Theres lots of people with commentary on the exposure draft the exposure draft was an exposure draft for a reason, he told Sky News. Promise things that didn't have merit and that you never plan to deliver. The Parliamentary Business Resources Bill requires MPs to be "personally responsible and accountable for their use of public resources for conducting their parliamentary business" and "prepared to justify publicly their use of public resources for conducting their parliamentary business". 3 min read August 24, 2020 - 12:49AM 7. [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. Graphic designer Matt Pham, who chose Mr Sukkar as one of the groomsmen at his 2014 wedding and has been a close personal friend of the minister for more than a decade, was paid from Mr Sukkar's electorate office budget between 2016 and 2018. Sukkar's 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. This is Minority Report levels of scary, authoritarian government overreach. Member for Deakin. Office details Connect Electorate details. Johns, a former IPA fellow is on the record calling low income and Aboriginal woman "cash cows"[1]. Michael Sukkar, left, with his good friend and sometime employee, Matt Pham. Electorate Office (Principal Office) 5/602 Whitehorse Road Mitcham, VIC, 3132 Postal address. Ms Lamont said she had an invoice outlining the arrangement, but did not supply it by time of publication. In February 2017, Mr Pham also designed a flyer for a Deakin 200 Club fundraiser for Mr Sukkar at Bar Humbug in Melbourne's CBD in April that year. Sukkar attended primary school at Sacred Heart in Croydon and then secondary school at Aquinas College in Ringwood. A political pamphlet designed to promote Stephanie Ross as Christian by pretending to decry her beliefs. Michael Sven Sukkar (born 11 September 1981) is an Australian politician serving as Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing since 2019. Minister Sukkar: Today I want to speak about a couple of things. Michael Sukkar MP Address: 5/602 Whitehorse Road Mitcham VIC 3132 Phone: (03) 9874 1711 Postal Address: PO Box 232 Mitcham, VIC 3132. sign up to michael's eNewsletter. Is there any wonder why the Liberals don't want a federal anti corruption body. Guardian Australia approached Sukkars office for comment but did not receive a response. Centre Alliance, represented by Stirling Griff in the Senate and Rebekha Sharkie in the house, want a federal integrity commission with teeth set up sooner rather than later. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since September 2013, representing the Division of Deakin in Victoria for the Liberal Party. It is extremely disappointing that 60 Minutes would again publish unproven claims from 2017 from a discredited and disgruntled former staff member, whose accusations have already been shown to be false and malicious, he said. Nothing better than a Saturday afternoon at the cricket. Pork Barrelling. Charlie Lewis Nov 08, 2021 3 Share If he breaks one promise, what other promises does he not intend on keeping? Josh Frydenberg says he still supports Michael Sukkar after fresh allegations came to light.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen. In my experience, there is no MP, let alone PM, who's shown more support, care and respect for the Australian Lebanese community. Harvey Gay (Canberra) Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing Michael Sukkar at question time on Monday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen. Plotting against those he doesn't like, or who he wants to climb over for his own power. 29 May 2019 - 23 May 2022. The fake flyer also pictured Mr Blackwood with moderate state Liberal leader Matthew Guy. Michael Sukkar (@MichaelSukkarMP) November 7, 2021. 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. This helps reduce the burden on the state. Tight race in Deakin, 55 votes separate knife-edge Victorian seat. Mr Sukkar released a statement completely rejecting the allegations. We live in a representative democracy. THE HON MICHAEL SUKKAR MP SHADOW MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, NDIS, HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS TRANSCRIPT INTERVIEW WITH LAURA JAYES, [], Stronger Communities Round 8 Expression of Interest is now open Feb 2023, INTERVIEW WITH KIERAN GILBERT AFTERNOON AGENDA, SKY NEWS, INTERVIEW WITH STEPHEN CENATIEMPO, 2CC TALKING CANBERRA, $217.7 MILLION SPENT TO ABOLISH THE CASHLESS DEBIT CARD IN NAME ONLY, VOLUNTARY INCOME MANAGEMENT WILL DO NOTHING FOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, Asian Business Association of Whitehorse Lantern Festival, LABOR DELIVERS DISAPPOINTMENT ON HOUSING COMMITMENTS, INTERVIEW WITH LAURA JAYES, SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIANS NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH THE SUBURBAN RAIL LOOP VANITY PROJECT WILL COST, 2023 Michael Sukkar. [20] However, Scott Morrison defeated both figures, becoming Prime Minister leaving Sukkar on the back benches. The finance department said the reviewer was completely independent, had no link to Sukkar or his time in the then-Blake Dawson Waldron, and had acted in accordance with their ethical and professional duties as a legal practitioner. Senator Patrick said he hadnt yet been briefed on the governments final plans. 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. 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. ", "Behind the scenes of the Liberal Party leadership spill", "Scott Morrison's reshuffle suitably vengeful", "Michael Sukkar faces backlash over role in Liberal leadership crisis", "Deakin (Key Seat) - Federal Election 2019 Electorate, Candidates, Results | Australia Votes - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)", "Michael Sukkar, Kevin Andrews implicated in Liberal Party branch-stacking scandal", "Federal Government MPs cleared of wrongdoing and misusing public funds", "Inquiry that cleared Liberal MPs did not hear from key witnesses", "Allegations of Liberal Party branch stacking involving Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar aired in defamation case - ABC News", "Michael Sukkar's brother Paul recruited 58 Liberal members in two months", "Michael Sukkar engulfed in branch-stacking scandal: Court documents", "ASIO red-flags Liberal Party donor Huifeng 'Haha' Liu over foreign interference risks", "Deakin (Key Seat) - Federal Electorate, Candidates, Results", "Peter Dutton sidelines Scott Morrison allies in shadow cabinet as Nationals take six spots", "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions? 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. In what is supposed to appear as an attack but is actually intended as an endorsement, it describes her as "Christian, pro-life, anti-euthanasia, anti-safe schools, anti-LGBTIQ and anti-marriage equality". In August the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age reported allegations of branch stacking and smear campaigns involving taxpayer-funded electorate staff in the offices of the Liberal MPs Sukkar and Kevin Andrews. [12] When asked about housing affordability on 20 February 2017, Sukkar told Sky News that "we're also enabling young people to get highly paid jobs which is the first step to buying a house". Morrison Government and return to ministry, Minister for Homelessness, Social and Community Housing, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, "Near-death experience brings tax lawyer to politics", "Campaigners call for defibrillators at sporting clubs in bid to save lives", "The right-wing Liberal club hiding donors and building conservative clout", "Victorian Liberals should be proud of their results", "New federal ministers officially sworn in", "Coalition MP tasked with housing affordability says 'highly paid job' is 'first step' to home ownership", "Michael Sukkar: get a highly paid job to buy a house", "Greg Hunt, Alan Tudge, Michael Sukkar face contempt charge", "Greg Hunt declines to say if he'll be in court for hearing over potential contempt charges", "Coalition ministers will not face contempt charges after court accepts apology", "Ministers escape contempt charges after 'unconditional apology' to Supreme Court", "An Executive and Judicial tussle: Is this healthy for our democracy? Under Sukkar's proposed rules, if the ACNC, headed by a Sukkar appointed charity hater, thinks a charity will commit a crime, it can be deregistered. He insists he has no knowledge or involvement in any wrongdoing or abuse of public funds. R v Aastha Sharma. Several Liberal backbenchers have been talking to Attorney-General Michaelia Cash about how to strengthen the commission. Michael Sukkar however went on the record to say that he would put his personal views aside and vote in Parliament "in accordance with the majority view of Australians" following the announcement of the postal survey results. [23] Despite this, in the May 2019 federal election he was re-elected for a third term, albeit with a reduced margin of 4.8%. What good is a grant with a cap of $700,000 when houses sell for over a million dollars. [3], It was designed to fail from the start as the ANAO report also found that, "The department did not engage with state governments and councils, which increased the risk that selected projects would not deliver the desired outcomes at the expected cost to the Australian government.[2], As far as rorting goes, this has to be one of the most incompetent and blatant attempts with Sukkar looking very shady, and possibly in breach of ministerial standards. Michael Sukkar was part of the "Yarra 3", a group of ministers (including Greg Hunt and Alan Tudge) who launched an extraordinary attack on the Victorian judiciary. Authorised by Michael Sukkar MP, 5/602 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham VIC 3132. twitter; facebook; youtube; instagram; Close Menu. He is a former media diarist and features editor of The Australian. Even the "First Home Whatever" grants that Sukkar is touting is an insult to the people of Deakin. What if your family doesn't own their own home? 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