Naive or not, Cathy McGowan is inclined to take the word of Peter Dutton when he says he did not mislead Parliament by intervening in the visas of two au pairs.
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A Senate report this week into his decision to release the au pairs from detention was split along party lines, with one side saying he did mislead Parliament and the other dismissing the investigation as a "witch-hunt".
Mr Dutton narrowly avoided a no-confidence motion in Parliament on Thursday, when a motion to suspend standing orders to debate the report was defeated 68-67.
Ms McGowan voted to suspend standing orders and allow the debate to occur, but said that did not necessarily mean she was calling for Mr Dutton’s resignation.
“I haven’t actually got to a position on this,” she said. “It’s a very big thing to make a vote of no-confidence in a minister.
“I may be naive, but I tend to take people on their word and he says he didn’t do it.”
Mr Dutton said he did not have a personal connection to the au pairs, even through his former Queensland Police Service colleagues were behind one of the appeals.
Ms McGowan said she still believes Mr Dutton should be referred to the High Court over whether he has financial interests which make his election invalid.
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