Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

My questions are for the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. Firstly, how many noncitizens whose visa cancellations have been overturned by AAT under ministerial direction 99 had previous criminal convictions or allegations of criminal conduct or serious conduct involving family and domestic violence, sexual assault or offences relating to children? Secondly, subject to the decision made by the AAT to revoke a visa cancellation pursuant to ministerial direction 99, how many noncitizens since the relevant decision have committed or have been alleged to have committed criminal offences or serious conduct involving family and domestic violence, sexual assaults or offences relating to children? Thirdly, how many of these noncitizens have now had their visas cancelled?

We all, in this House, know that right now there is a national crisis happening, and that is a crisis in relation to gender based violence. This budget contains $3.2 billion to address domestic violence for women and children. An additional $1.1 billion is provided for the ongoing escaping domestic violence payment. We are all working together to address domestic violence. So, in dealing with convicted rapist or a person who bashes, stalks, intimidates or threatens a woman, in what parallel universe would their ties to Australia or the time they've been here be given equal weight to the protection of a victim? Why would their rights be given the same weight in the AAT under ministerial direction 99?

I say to the minister: sit down with a victim. I've done it plenty of times; I've had 12 years in the police. The moment that a rapist or somebody who bashes a woman or somebody who assaults a young child is convicted, they forfeit their rights to be here if they are noncitizens. Their rights should not be given equal weight to the rights of the victim. The victims' rights were taken away when these scumbags committed those offences. For the minister to include in ministerial direction 99 rights for paedophiles, rapists and men who bash women and children that are equal to the rights of victims just goes to show that he doesn't get it.

But he said he's going to change it. Well, how long is that going to take, and what will that look like? Will the rights of the victims be greater than those of these scumbags who have been protected and released under his ministerial direction 99? The Australian public are outraged, and they should be outraged. They should have the answers to these questions, and the rights of those victims need to come over and above the rights of somebody who is a noncitizen of this country. These people have suffered at the hands of these perpetrators, but these offenders have been given the benefit of freedom and citizenship under ministerial direction 99. It is outrageous, and Australian citizens should be outraged. This minister is a woeful, hapless minister who should step down, because time after time he has bungled the legislation, the bills and the ministerial directions. He has been unfit and unable to carry out his duties as the minister for immigration in protecting the citizens of Australia.

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