MPs on notice in Crown hearing

OPPOSITION Leader Anthony Albanese has defended Labor’s opposition to parliamentary inquiry into allegations federal ministers interfered in visa applications for Chinese high rollers.

Crown casino is facing claims it had a “hotline” to Australian consulates to fasttrack visa applications, which the company denies.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said last week he had no doubt there were federal MPs who had allowed political donations to influence their decisions.

But Mr Albanese said he did not agree.

“I have not seen any evidence of direct corruption that I’ve seen, that has been proven in my time when I’ve been in parliament,” he told the ABC’s Insiders yesterday.

He said the Opposition supported the Government referring the matter to the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity.

“You don’t conduct serious investigations with a parliamentary committee,” he said. “What you need is a body that has the same powers of a royal commission, which this body has.”

The ACLEI inquiry has been criticised because it has no power to investigate MPs and ministers, but Mr Albanese suggested that could be overcome.

“By investigating the department and who made lobbying exercises to the bureaucracy, then certainly by definition, MPs would be drawn into that if any MPs are involved,” he said.

Labor is continuing to push for a National Integrity Commission. A swag of crossbench MPs and senators have urged the Government to create a corruption watchdog with real teeth.