Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration, Integration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition supports the amendments. While the minister has stated that these amendments are the result of the Senate inquiry, the minister neglects to mention that these amendments were also proposed on the floor of this House by the opposition—in fact, they were suggested on first sight of the bill at the briefing at which a member of his staff was present when the opposition was formally briefed. These ambiguities were raised immediately by the opposition. An issue as important as Australian citizenship certainly dictates that care should be taken. Legislation should never be presented on something as important as Australian citizenship which, on the face of it, has been put together in a clumsy fashion. Labor is pleased that, while the minister did not seek to bring them to the House initially, these amendments were finally cleaned up by the Senate.

Question agreed to.

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