Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. I refer to the government's blatantly political confidential briefing note on the revocation of Australian citizenship, which states:

A law requiring a terrorist conviction would be toothless.

Can the minister confirm that, under his citizenship proposal, he as minister will make the decision to revoke Australian citizenship from a dual citizen suspected of fighting against Australia?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will have some silence for the answer.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me go to Bret Walker's report and what he said in his report. If I go to page 57, Bret Walker SC says:

Taking into account Australia's international obligations, and the national security and counter-terrorism risks posed by Australians engaging in acts prejudicial to Australia's security, the INSLM supports the introduction of a power for the Minister for Immigration to revoke the citizenship of Australians, where to do so would not render them stateless, where the Minister is satisfied that the person has engaged in acts prejudicial to Australia's security and it is not in Australia's interests for the person to remain in Australia.

That is exactly the principle by which we are guided. As the Prime Minister has said, and as all of us in this government have said repeatedly, we face an unprecedented threat from terrorism in this country. ASIO advises us that there are 400 high-priority cases under investigation right now. We have over 110 Australians who are fighting in Syria and the Middle East and about whom we are very worried that, if they came back to this country, they would seek to cause mass-casualty events here in this country. We have to deal with the reality of this threat.

I do not know why Labor is in denial when it comes to these issues of national security. The opposition leader, sitting in that chair—

Ms O'Neil interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left. The member for Hotham is warned.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

only a week ago said that the government's strong reaction was a dog whistle. That is what he said: he said that the action that we are proposing in relation to stripping citizenship from dual nationals—those who are involved in terrorism—was a dog whistle.

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta is warned.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But he backflipped 24 hours later when he realised that that position was not sustainable. What this government will do is to provide whatever support we can to our intelligence and law enforcement agencies to stare down the threat of terrorism. I welcome any question whatsoever from the opposition in relation to this very important matter, because this government will stare down the threat that is posed to the Australian public as best we can. We have demonstrated that in securing our borders. When Labor were in government, they had completely and utterly lost control of our borders, and if you cannot control your borders you cannot control national security.