Maybe the ABC had Malcolm in mind when it titled last night's 4 Corners show Interference.

It was about China and the Communist Party meddling in Australia.

The program included a few minutes on Peter Dutton's refusal to grant Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo Australian citizenship - but that was all it took to launch this morning's Turnbull tirade.

This is the relevant bit from 4 Corners:

In 2016, as Huang become increasingly anxious about securing his own citizenship, he put Santoro on a retainer. In March that year, Santoro delivered... arranging a lunch between Huang and Dutton and the minister's senior staffer in a private room at Master Ken's restaurant in Sydney's Chinatown. This gave Huang Xiangmo direct access to the man most citizenship applicants could only dream of meeting to push their case. Santoro told Four Corners his work with Huang was limited to providing introductory services. Both Huang and Santoro deny their arrangement was aimed at getting Huang citizenship. Peter Dutton confirmed the lunch, but denied he assisted Huang. Huang's attempt to get a passport failed and last November, on advice from ASIO he posed a risk of foreign interference, he was banned from re-entering Australia.

ANDREW HASTIE, CHAIR, COMMITTEE FOR INTELLIFENCE & SECURITY: Well, we've heard from our security agencies that espionage and foreign interference in Australia is being conducted at unprecedented levels. So, Mr. Huang being denied citizenship is very significant, because it shows that this government is prepared, ah, to use the powers at their disposal to protect our sovereignty and our democracy

https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/interference/10982212

So Dutton had lunch with Santo Santoro and a Chinese billionaire.

After the lunch Dutton refused to grant the man citizenship.

Dutton presided over the decision to refuse Huang reentry to Australia.

Turnbull needs serious help.

UPDATE

This from Nine newspapers after speaking with Peter Dutton and the Prime Minister.

Speaking in Rockhampton today, Mr Dutton said Mr Huang was denied citizenship in a decision made by his department.

"As I turns out, this individual is now offshore because an agency within my department took a decision to take certain action in relation to his visa so that person wouldn't be able to return to Australia," Mr Dutton said.

"So the suggestion that somehow I've provided anything to this individual is just a nonsense."

News of the meeting was first reported by Nine Newspapers and the ABC.

Mr Dutton challenged journalists to "strip it back to the facts" and tell him what the allegation is.

"I have never received a dollar from this individual," he said.

"I had that one meeting with him over lunch. I have never seen him since."

Mr Dutton said he met with Mr Huang in his capacity as a "significant leader within the Chinese community".

Mr Huang's family was granted Australian citizenship in 2015, and former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari attended their private ceremony.

Mr Morrison took care to highlight that connection when speaking to reporters in Gosford this morning.

"I think when it comes to our government's acting on foreign interference, we've got a pretty strong track record," Mr Morrison said.

"I think that compares very significantly to that of the Labor Party, where Senator Sam Dastyari had to resign in disgrace because he not only compromised himself in standing in front of an Australian government insignia, standing there with the very individual you're referring to."

Senator Dastyari resigned from the frontbench, and then from Parliament, facing scrutiny over his ties to Mr Huang and other influential Chinese figures.