Peter Dutton was filmed to assess a 'Golden Ticket' visa for rich investors who spend $ 5 million to enter Australia during a private conversation during a fundraising dinner of $ 10,000 per head.
Originally launched as a way to stimulate foreign investments, the candidates of 'important investors visa' had to be eligible for more than $ 5 million in Australian investments, without educational or English requirements.
But the scheme was deleted by the birth last January, in the midst of the fears it was an gateway for spies and dodgy money.
Now opposition leader Mr Dutton has been caught on the camera in a chic fundraiser of Liberal Party – where tickets are said to cost $ 10,000 per person – which suggests that the coalition will bring the 'Golden Ticket' – visa back.
The dinner and the drink reception was held for Scott Yung, the liberal candidate in the marginal seat of Bennelong in northwestern Sydney, who hangs the coalition to take off work.
Mr. Dutton was filmed with a migration agent named Min Li, who told him that 'everyone asked' when the important investor visa returned.
“I think we'll bring it back,” he told her.
“Whether we do it before the elections, or look at another design for it – we will all have to consider that.”
Mrs. Li then uploaded the images of the conversation, which was first unveiled by nine newspapers, to the Chinese social media app Rednote, where she described the reception as 'cozy'.
Mrs. Li, who is also called the name Sandra Li, is the director of the immigration company of Aoye Group.
It describes itself as the 'gateway to China and the larger Northeast regions, which gives Australia access to demonstrable the world's largest talent pool in advanced technologies, health, finance and consumer services'
Daily Mail Australia in no way suggests that Mrs Li acted incorrectly or is involved in something unusual.
Mr Dutton was immediately asked on Saturday afternoon at a press conference whether the coalition had plans for the Significant investor visa current when he was at a Chinese Lunar New Year festival in Melbourne.
But he insisted that the coalition would announce their policies 'in due course' before he praised the scheme, which he had the final supervision in his role as a senior cabinet minister responsible for migration from 2014 to 2021.
“As immigration -Minister I brought in a record number of people through various visa programs, and we did it in a responsible way,” he said reporters.
“The important investment visa offers people the opportunity to invest capital.”
Opposition leader Mr Dutton is caught on the camera in a chic fundraising in the liberal party – where tickets are said to cost $ 10,000 per person – which suggests that the coalition will bring the Visa 'Golden Ticket' back (photo)
Mr. Dutton was asked directly on Saturday afternoon at a press conference if the coalition had plans to reduce the important investor visa current when he was at a Chinese Lunar New Year festival in Melbourne (shown: Mr Dutton with his wife Kirlyy during the event)
Thousands of 'significant investors visa' have been granted since 2012, with 85 percent of the successful applicants from China, according to government figures.
Almost 15 percent of people in Benelong were born in China, according to Census data.
Critics of the important investor flow claimed that it was exploited to 'park illegal funds'.
It was subject to several reviews and was finally deleted by Labor in January last year.
“It has been clear for years that this visa does not deliver what our country and economy need,” said the then Minister of the Interior that Clare O'Neil at the time.
Clancy Moore, the Chief Executive of Transparency International Australia, welcomed the moving.
“For far too long corrupt officials and kleptocrats (from abroad) used gold visa as a vehicle to park their illegal funds in Australia and demonstrably hide their proceeds from crime,” she told the BBC.
Jenny Goldie, president of Sustainable Population Australia, said nine newspapers that the special visa was a 'indignation' because it could buy rich people to easily buy a visa and enter the country.
Daily Mail Australia approached Mr Dutton's office for comment.
