From The Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm christianamiot. It's Thursday, January thirteen. Fourteen members of a fringe Christian group were found guilty of the manslaughter of diabetic girl Elizabeth Strews on Wednesday. The eight year old died after the group, who call themselves the Saints and shun medical treatment, withheld her insulin for several days. Hopes of a pre election rate cut are high after inflation fell to its
lowest level in four years in December. The drop came as a surprise to economists who say the Reserve Bank could offer mortgage holders some long awaited relief when it meets next month. Those stories alive right now at the Australian dot com dot a U. A federal election is just around the corner, and that means the major parties are rattling the tin for campaign donations. But it's a lavish dinner attended by the Prime Minister that's peaked our
Victorian editors attention. That's today's episode. In November, a group of people sat down for a meal in one of Melbourne's ritziest neighborhoods. The table had been laid with a white tablecloth and gleaming silverware. Wineglasses containing a rich red drop clinked, and the Indian inspired food even came topped
with gold leaf. As conversation bounced back and forth, someone cracked a joke organizing former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, who was seated to the right of Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi, picked up the threat.
The logic logic there is instead of only process together.
The best around the table were members of Melbourne's Indian Australian business community, and it appears from the audio you've just heard that they've got some feedback for the Prime Minister.
It's not often that you get to see how Victorian alp politics is made.
Here.
Damon Johnston is The Australian's Victorian editor, but.
This video, albeit short, shows you Dan controlling the discussion when issues around visas are raised. So you know, these are very significant issues and I think the Australian public deserves to know exactly what was discussed, how much money was donated to buy a seat at this table, if in fact any was, and how many more of these sort of events are being held.
And Damon, what have you determined to be the purpose of this launch.
The Prime Minister's Office won't won't confirm that it was a political fundraising event designed to extract donations from those who are tended to help bankroll the twenty twenty five federal election. We put that specific question to the PMO and they just refuse to engage on it. Now, I've got multiple people within the Victorian ALP who believe that the only way that you can get the Prime Minister and a former labor premier to your private house, even when it is a Turek mansion, is to have it
as a fundraising event. However, we don't know that to be one hundred percent the case, but certainly many within the party are making that speculation.
The dinner was hosted at a Tuak mansion belonging to deshaiant Kanna and his wife Redeemer. One of the dozen or so attendees described it in a post on Instagram as four hours of exquisite cuisine and hospitality. Another said it was an incredible moment in Mileston, owned for the Indian business leaders who came forward to support it, as
well as the widespread community they represent. The Prime Minister's Private Secretary, David Epstein was also in attendance, but it's the man who was seated on the other side of Anthony Albanesi that Pete Damon's interest.
Okay, So, Raprinda Bra is a very successful, industrious Indian Australian businessman. He's worth many, many millions, tens of millions according to some people I've spoken to. He's been very successful in the construction industry, both commercial and residential. However, there's another arm of his business, the international student business, that has struck some problems and this is why the story becomes interesting.
Now.
In May last year, the Federal Regulator of International Colleges, so this is the watchdog that essentially checks for compliance on companies that bring in foreign students, they deregistered Reprinda BRA's company called Barclay International College, and they did this because they determined that there was significant non compliance and in a statement to The Australian for this story, they've confirmed that non compliance was around governance, enrollments, marketing. So
these are really key pillars of the international college business. Currently, Barclay has appealed that decision and is going through the hearing process and will be determined later this year. They got an interim stay on the de registration, but there are some limitations on what it can continue to do.
I don't think it can enroll any new students and there are ongoing restrictions. Now Barclay are still operating at a level and they are hopeful that they will overturn this. But it becomes interesting because ASQUA they launched almost two hundred fresh investigations. So in the midst of this crackdown, here we have a private dinner in a Turek mansion where you have an operator of a deregistered international student company sitting next to the Prime Minister.
Based on social media posts made by the attendees' visas, Tourism, the economy, and the property and construction sectors were discussed at the time. Student visas in particular were a hot topic. With record migration putting pressure on housing services and infrastructure. The government was looking for solutions to keep international student numbers in check. Having failed to introduce caps through legislation, the government pursued a different route.
Under the new direction, when universities reach eighty percent of their government set quota, which is different for each institution, the pace of visa approvals ailslow plus.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority was also cracking down on international student operators following a multimillion dollar funding boost. We heard in that video, and as you've just said that visas in various capacities were discussed apparently at this event. We don't really as members of the public hear much of this kind of political wheeling and dealing here in Australia as much as we might do in an American context,
for example. But do you think there is any significance to the fact that the government's visa programs were apparently discussed at this event where at least one attendee, being Ripindabra, clearly has a vested interest in the continued flow of international students, particularly from India into the country.
Well, we asked the Prominster's Office did they discuss international students in any capacity? What else did they talk about? And the PMO wouldn't confirm or deny what they discussed. As for mister bra he has not returned calls. I believe he is overseas traveling. There's a lot of people not wanting to talk about this story. I've also sent questions to Daniel Andrews. He has not responded, and the businessman who hosted the event at his Tuac mansion, he
and his wife are also traveling overseas. They've not responded in any detailed way other than the wife did tell me this morning over the phone that it was a memorable event.
Coming up. A window into the post premiership life of Dan Andrews. Dan Andrews has kept a relatively low profile since he pulled the pin on his long and storied politics career in late twenty twenty three.
Work.
I am worse than a workaholic. I'd spend every waky moment is about the work, and there's only so long you can do that for. You never want to finish up in a situation where you aren't enjoying the work, where you are resempful of the fact that you're doing this and not doing something else. I'm not at that point.
His appearance at a lavish dinner alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albinizi, as told through social media posts made by those in attendance, provides unique insight into what he's been up to since then. Here's Damon Johnston.
We don't know a lot about Dan Andrew's role in this TRAC function. What we do know, courtesy of the video and the photos, was that he was there. Did he organize the event?
We don't know.
I asked him that question in an email. I didn't get a response. I asked the PMO that question, and I didn't get a response. Has he organized any other similar fundraising events? We don't know the answer to those questions. Do know that he remains very well connected within the Indian Australian community from his time as Premiere, and we also know that he's close to Albanezi.
So I guess the listeners can make up their own mind.
Just lastly, Damon, there was a time when it felt like Dan Andrews was all over TV and radio, particularly during the COVID nineteen pandemic. What does his appearance tell us about how he's spending his professional time after politics?
So you're right, Dan has sunk from public view largely. He had possibly one of the highest profiles of a state leader in the history of Federation courtesy of the COVID lockdowns here. Since his resignation, he's done very little public media. However, he's very busy behind the scenes. He's established his own private isn't the empire of which he's the director. He's partnered with a former member of staff,
and we know that he's got connections in China. But what this shows is the Dan Andrews, despite not being on our televisions anymore, remains a figure of influence within Victorian politics, particularly labor politics.
Damon Johnston is The Australian's Victorian editor. You can read all about the PM's trip to Tuak right now at the Australian dot com dot au