| Notes |
SENATOR KRISTINA KENEALLY
DEPUTY LABOR LEADER IN THE SENATE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
LABOR SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES
QUARANTINE SERVICES AUSTRALIA LOOKS LIKE MONEY FOR MATES
Another day, another ‘money for mates’ scandal from the Morrison-Joyce Government.
As revealed on the ABC today, DPG Advisory, led by Mr Morrison’s mates David Gazard and
Scott Briggs, washand-picked by the Department of Home Affairs to advise on setting up a
private-sector provided quarantine service.
Just days after the Morrison-Joyce Government gave DPG Advisory the exclusive, $10,000
per week contract, Mr Gazard, Mr Briggs and Mr David Saul (of Paladin fame) established a
new company, Quarantine Services Australia (QSA).
Quarantine Services Australia is now gearing up to provide quarantine for skilled workers and
international students, charging almost four times what state and federal governments charge
for quarantine.
‘Mr Morrison needs to come clean on what he knows about QSA,’ the Shadow Minister for
Government Accountability, Senator Kristina Keneally, said.
‘Specifically, how did it come to pass that two of the Prime Minister's best mates are the only
people that the Department of Home Affairs has approached to set up a fee-for-service,
privatised quarantine system?
‘Further, Mr Morrison needs to explain to the Australian people why he thinks the country even
needs a fee-for-service quarantine system run by the private sector.’
Quarantine Services Australia quick facts:
⢠QSA says that it will provide fee-for-service ‘quarantine services to expedite the return
of skilled workers and international students to our shores’, with the company currently
calling for organisations to ‘pre-register for an account now’.
⢠QSA says it will charge clients up to $13,750 per person (inc GST) for quarantine
services.
⢠According to ASIC, QSA’s only registered Director is Scott Briggs. He’s has been
described as being, ‘as close to the Prime Minister’s inner circle as you can get’.
⢠Briggs previously resigned as the lead and founder of the Australian Visa
Consortium (AVC), which was bidding for the Morrison Government’s visa privatisation
business, before the Government abandoned the project. Mr Briggs then turned up at
DPG Advisory Solutions - led by David Gazard.
⢠Briggs, Gazard and David Saul (of Paladin fame) formed QSA just days after the
Department of Home Affairs awarded a limited contract to DPG Advisory Solutions to
provide ‘management advisory services’- worth $80,000.
⢠QSA, DPG Solutions, Paladin and Sentinel (the company formed from Paladin) are all
registered out of the Realm Hotel in Barton.
Mr Morrison’s hand-picked quarantine adviser, Jane Halton, is also reportedly involved in QSA
as an adviser.
WEDNESDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: LIZ JACKSON 0403 626 803 |