Abbott's Nauru plan questioned
Questions over funding for media coverage and capacity for asylum seekers have clouded Tony Abbott's plans for using Nauru as a key centre for off shore processing.
A logistics company that stands to profit from the Coalition's ''tent city'' on Nauru funded the trip of its immigration spokesman Scott Morrison to the remote island to announce the plan to house up to 2000 asylum seekers in tents.
The trip to Nauru was facilitated by Toll Holdings, which has multimillion-dollar contracts to help handle asylum seekers and is understood to have chartered the flight to Nauru for the Coalition and a journalist and photographer from News Corporation.
Tony Abbott and opposition immigration minister Scott Morrison. Tony Abbott and opposition immigration minister Scott Morrison. Photo: Jason South
Contacted on Tuesday morning, Mr Morrison's office had no policy documents to accompany the announcement, and a spokeswoman advised reporters to get their information from what had been reported in News Corp newspapers. Mr Morrison later issued a news release with broad details of the policy.
''My understanding is that the trip was wholly privately funded,'' Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said. Asked whether Toll paid for it, he said: ''Look, it's wholly privately funded, and there's no reason whatsoever why it shouldn't be funded in that way.''
Fairfax Media is awaiting a response from Toll Holdings.
The Coalition has announced a plan to massively expand the tent accommodation on Nauru. The Coalition has announced a plan to massively expand the tent accommodation on Nauru. Photo: Angela Wylie
Allan Asher, a former Commonwealth ombudsman, was critical of the arrangement: ''I think at any time of the year that would be a questionable thing, but in the context of elections, it just makes it an entirely inappropriate thing to do.''
Toll Holdings has contracts with the Department of Immigration valued at about $26 million.
This is not the first time a company has funded media travel to Nauru.
Illustration: Ron Tandberg. Illustration: Ron Tandberg.
In 2011 the trucking baron Lindsay Fox loaned his private plane to Mr Abbott, Mr Morrison and a media group - including Fairfax, News Limited and the ABC - after the government refused Mr Abbott the use of government VIP jets.

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