Peter Dutton Set to Become Leader of the Liberal Party
Updated: Jul 20, 2022
Liberal MP Peter Dutton is likely to become the leader of the Liberal Party, following the party's Federal Election defeat and former Prime Minister Scott Morrison withdrawing from the role. Mr. Dutton previously lost the leadership contest of the Liberal Party to Scott Morrison in 2018.
Under the Morrison government, Mr. Dutton was the Minister for Defence. He had previously served as Minister for Home Affairs from 2017 to 2021, Immigration and Border Protection from 2014 to 2017, and for Health and Sport from 2013 to 2014.
Connections to Eddie Kocwa & SCD Holdings
In March of 2022, the Friendlyjordies team revealed a series of connections between Mr. Dutton and SCD Remanufactured Vehicles. Mr. Dutton is acquainted with both Eddie Kocwa, owner of SCD Remanufactured Vehicles, and Claude Sorbello, who provided an endorsement of Mr. Dutton.
In 2019 Mr. Dutton was featured in a promotional video for SCD American Vehicles. Titled 'The Baddest MP', the video features Peter Dutton arriving at SCD American Vehicles, meeting and interacting with the staff and examining the building and its vehicles with DMX's 'X Gon' Give It To Ya' played throughout.
Leaked emails between the pair also reveal that Mr. Kocwa offered to assist Mr. Dutton in the 2019 election and that Mr. Kocwa lobbied Mr. Dutton's office to give SCD Remanufactured Vehicles 'essential business' status. The leaked emails show that this request was to be reviewed by the Prime Minister's office and that further communication would follow.
NKW Holdings Contract
In his role as Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Dutton granted a Papua New Guinea-based company, NWK holdings an $82 Million contract to house and feed refugees. Leaked emails revealed that this contract was awarded at a time when the company was struggling, serving as a "much-needed lifeline." At this same time, NKW Holdings was on the Bank South Pacific's "watch list" for unpaid debts. Leaked emails revealed that following the company being engaged for the contract, the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection began 'paying every invoice,' with the Bank South Pacific Manager responsible for the NKW account assuring colleagues assuring this as well as commenting: “I suspect there are some inflated quotations and invoices,"
The Australian taxpayer was paying $1400 per person per day to house and feed 209 asylum seekers in West Lorengau Haus and Hillside Haus to NKW. Another leaked email revealed furthermore that while landowners were paid $30,000 per month for the lease of these camp sites, NWK was paid more than $500,000 per month by the department of Home Affairs for access to the sites.
Sources & Further Reading
https://www.friendlyjordies.com/post/scd-american-vehicles
https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=00AKI