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A FORMER federal Labor minister has been linked to plans for an Asian mail-order bride network directed at lonely, "redneck, blue-collar" Australian men.
A confidential business plan sent on former Hawke government minister Peter Duncan's email address has been uncovered by the Herald Sun.
It was sent to Mr Duncan's long-time friend Donald John Storen, who is an Australian citizen fighting child sex charges in Indonesia.
The so-called "Lombok project" was to involve coercing men who frequented Australian hotels, TABs, clubs and blue-collar workplaces such as sugar mills to travel to the island.
For $2500, they would be provided with a prospective wife, accommodation and a week on Lombok, east of Bali.
The email, signed "Peter" and carrying Mr Duncan's initials, detailed how a Jakarta associate was able to "obtain prospective brides", and that 15 women were ready to meet Australians.
Mr Duncan, who receives a parliamentary pension, has confirmed the document was sent on his email address.
But he claimed that he knew of no plans to profit from mail-order brides.
"I know nothing about this, not a cracker. I have no idea why this is on my email address," Mr Duncan said.
"The only thing I can think of is anybody can get into your email."
The correspondence was sent to Mr Storen in May 2002, when Mr Storen was running a gay travel website in Cairns.
He later joined Mr Duncan in Indonesia, where he initially ran the local Lombok newspaper before managing a resort leased by Mr Duncan.
Mr Storen left the email behind when he left Australia in the middle of 2003.
The Herald Sun has seen several emails sent to Mr Storen, including one bearing the name of one of Australia's best known arts identities from the 1970s, who signed off as "Alice".
Mr Duncan was raised in Melbourne and rose to prominence as attorney-general under former South Australian premier Don Dunstan before serving in the ministry under Bob Hawke.
About the time Mr Duncan left Australia, apparently via East Timor, the emails arrived in Australia.
Under the pseudonym the "jumbuck swagman", carrying Mr Duncan's personal email address and signed off as "Peter", the business outline details how quality, three-star accommodation could be obtained for Australian men for about $20 a night.
The men sought would be "probably redneck, blue collar", the email reads.
Sent on Thursday, May 16, 2002, the email discusses the legality of sex tourism in Indonesia.
"As you know, organising and involvement in sex tourism is forbidden by Australian law," it cautions Mr Storen.
"We have no problems as the sole purpose will be matrimony and all participants will be checked for proof of age and be over 18 years.
"If any prospects show interest in children we must reject them forthwith.
"Really, what our business plan seeks to achieve is to overcome the criticism of internet introductions, i.e. that they are impersonal and artificial."
Mr Duncan served as federal employment and education services minister and land transport and infrastructure minister in the 1980s. His wife, Julie, died of cancer last year.
By John Ferguson
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