CROOK …

‘Premium services for high-value applicants’, is that what we call bribery?

-it is called the ‘Significant Investor Visa Class’ for $5M

-cost of a Sydney mansion

-those with the black cash ushered into our formerly great Nation

-as some vegetate in front of another episode of The Block

–risks Australia losing complete control of migration numbers *

*PLEASE SHARE TO LET OTHERS KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON!

FROM the COMMENTS …

‘I’m sure getting a yes-man from the Department to ‘independently’ assess the tender will absolutely result in a fair process, with no influence whatsoever from the PM and Minister at all … ‘

Conflict-of-interests mire Coalition’s visa privatisation

By Unconventional Economist in Australian Economy

December 5, 2019 | 11 comments

The planned privatisation of Australia’s visa system has been delayed until next year after a web of conflict-of-interests were discovered across the Morrison Government:

Immigration Minister David Coleman, right, and Scott Morrison both recused themselves from expenditure review committee and cabinet discussions on the issue.CREDIT:ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN

*The tender bid, managed by the department, is now at arm’s length from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Immigration Minister David Coleman because of their long personal and professional relationships with Scott Briggs, who is leading the Australian Visa Processing consortium…

Mr Briggs, a former NSW Liberal deputy state director, was closely linked to Mr Morrison’s leadership bid against Mr Dutton in August last year and was a former colleague of Mr Coleman at Nine Entertainment Co…

Senior government sources have conceded the government will “cop some flack” should the bid led by Mr Briggs be successful, but have stressed the decision will be “truly independently made”…

Adding to the political conflicts, opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally’s husband, Ben, is employed by Boston Consulting Group, which is advising the department on process.

*Conflicts or not, privatising Australia’s visa processing is unambiguously bad policy. *

*Visa processing is an essential government service and a natural monopoly. Its sale will inevitably result in end-users being gouged by the new monopoly private owners, as well as a reduction in transparency.

The first assistant secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, Andrew Kefford, recently boasted that visa privatisation is the “most significant reform to the Australian immigration system in more than 30 years”, and claimed it would make the “visa business” profitable by including “premium services for high-value applicants”, while providing “commercial value-added services”.

In other words, the Morrison Government would effectively make Australia’s visa system ‘pay to win’ and a profit-based. This is exactly what has happened in the United Kingdom, which privatised its visa processing in 2014 with disastrous results (see here and here).

Australian travellers and expats are telling the government not to go down the same path as the UK.CREDIT:HEATHROW PHOTO LIBRARY

*Adding a profit motive and turning the visa system into a quantity-based “pay to win” business will also eliminate what little integrity there is left, and risks Australia losing complete control of migration numbers.

At a minimum, visa privatisation first be submitted for independent review by the ACCC, the Australian National Audit Office, and/or the Productivity Commission before coming into force.

To do otherwise would be policy treason.

This whole plan is Game of Mates writ large. *

Author

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Unconventional Economist

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.

SOURCE: https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2019/12/conflict-of-interests-mire-coalitions-visa-privatisation/

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