It's been just over 5 weeks since the Special Audits on the Immigration Department were made public. In 700+ pages spread out across three reports, Auditor General Dorothy Bradley details a very frightening picture of widespread irregularities and rampant corruption in the department. She names public officers, political cronies, and elected UDP officials as being involved with visa, passport and nationality irregularities.
It has dominated the public and political discourse, and the news tonight is that a Senate Select Committee has been set up to investigate the reports. That's what came out of a special Senate sitting today to agree on the composition of the Senate Select Committee.
But, before the meeting could properly start, Lead PUP Senator, Eamon Courtenay tried to move a motion to excuse Godwin Hulse, the Leader of Government Business from the day's debate. He's the Minister of Police and Immigration. That is the Ministry which will be under the microscope, and so, the PUP says that he cannot be involved because it will be a conflict of interest.
Here's Senator Courtenay introducing that motion today:
Senator Eamon Courtenay, Lead PUP Senator
"Not only is the minister in the senate, whose ministry is going to be investigated, the honorable senator's name has been mentioned in the reports. Beyond that Madam President, we have the situation where the motion that is about to be debated contemplates the calling as witnesses as persons who have been named in that report."
"The honorable minister is in a conflict of interest position. There is an appearance of a minister participating in a process to which he will be subjected. It is my respectful view that section 100 of 21 of the constitution calls upon the honorable Senator Godwin Hulse to not participate in the proceedings today. This honorable senate is required to protect its privileges. One of the privileges and rights is the right to speak and participate in debates and where in our view there is a clear violation of the constitution, it is my view and it is the view of this side that the honorable senator who I have asked to voluntarily recused himself and he has declined. The senate should excuse him from participation in today's debate on the motions."
Carla Barnett, Senator
"I would want to defer that decision sir. It is a really significant decision you are asking senators to take in terms of suspend - effectively telling a senator that they cannot participate in the business of the senate and I would prefer for decisions of those kinds to be properly notified so that they can be properly researched and decisions made on the basis of such information and advice."
As you heard, the President of the Senate, Lee Mark Chang, was not present for this motion because he was still on his return journey to the country. Dr. Carla Barnett had to sit in as interim President of the Senate, and she decided that a motion like this one should be given proper notice.
After the hearing, Courtenay told us that he was disappointed that Godwin Hulse was allowed to participate in today's hearing.
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