Dutton a no-show. The Migration and Settlement Awards were held in Canberra on Tuesday night, but a tipster tells us that Immigration Minister Peter Dutton was “noticeably absent”:

“In attendance were the Prime Minister, Bill Shorten, ex-Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Scott Morrison and Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Michaelia Cash. He was instead having dinner with 3 others at Portia’s Place Chinese Restaurant in Kingston. Does this mean that the Minister would like to be seen to talk tough on border protection but not involved in celebrating those who’ve had a positive impact of migration and multiculturalism?”

We also hear that Concetta Fierravanti-Wells was in attendance in her role as Parliamentary Secretary to the social services minister and attorney general, another tipster tells us she was ticked off that she wasn’t invited to speak on the night (she was last year), and was placated when Morrison invited her up on stage during his own speech. We called Dutton’s office this morning, but didn’t hear back by deadline.

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