The Prime Minister's office has denied Scott Morrison had any contact with former Wagga MP Daryl Maguire about visas while he was serving as Immigration Minister.
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Mr Morrison's office issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon following Labor questioning the PM in federal Parliament over any contact he might have had with the disgraced former NSW state MP.
"The [Prime Minister's Office] has been advised by the Department of Home Affairs that a first, complete search of its database did not identify any correspondence from Daryl Maguire or the business G8wayinternational to the Prime Minister is his former role as Immigration Minister," the statement said.
"Additional searches conducted in the [Prime Minister's Office] indicate the Prime Minister has not received any such correspondence in his current role."
IN OTHER NEWS:
Mr Morrison was the Immigration and Border Protection Minister between September 2013 and December 2014.
Mr Maguire has admitted he ran a cash-for-visas scam involving Riverina businesses, with exhibits at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) showing some of the activities took place during the 15-month period that Mr Morrison held the immigration portfolio.
Mr Maguire also admitted that he secretly controlled the G8wayinternational company in order to conceal personal profits and financial interests from Parliament's public disclosure requirements.
Emails presented to ICAC showed an immigration agent working for G8wayinternational had provided visa application forms to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in June 2014 for a Chinese national to work as a 'deputy general manager' at a Temora agriculture export business.
The business's owner, Angus McLaren, told ICAC the visa worker attended their contracted job just once.
Prior to the Prime Minister Office issuing its statement, opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles asked Mr Morrison in federal parliament "did disgraced former New South Wales Liberal MP Daryl Maguire make any representations to the government about visas, including to you, Prime Minister?"
Attorney General Christian Porter raised a point of order about the question, arguing that it should be asked of the current immigration minister, but Mr Morrison indicated to the Speaker that he was happy to answer.
"It has been my long-established practice, both when I was previously a minister and, certainly, as Prime Minister, you receive representations from many people in the community, including from those opposite, on many matters, including on those which the member has referred to, and it is my normal practice-for those matters, through my office, to be referred to the relevant department or my department for an appropriate response," Mr Morrison replied.
"That is the practice I have always followed."
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack's office has said the Riverina MP had "normal" representations from Mr Maguire, in the same manner that other MPs would contact him about issues.
On Monday, Immigration and Border Protection Department secretary Michael Pezzullo told a Senate estimates hearing "I believe it to be the case" that Mr Maguire had made representations to Home Affairs agencies, and possibly to federal MPs and ministers.
"His name does come up in departmental records as a correspondent," Mr Pezzullo told the hearing.
"I have not seen the specifics but I have asked for a report."
Home Affairs is also assisting ICAC in its investigation of Mr Maguire's visa scam.