Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to reinforce the importance of the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill 2015 brought into effect by the Turnbull government in December last year. This is sound policy from the Turnbull government and it is worth reminding the House why the amendment bill was passed in the first place. Since the rise of Islamic State in 2014, 110 Australians have left this country to join their ranks and participate in acts of barbarity against the Syrian and Iraqi people. This government responded to this disturbing trend by passing the foreign fighters bill in 2014, which strengthened Australia's counterterror legislative framework. The bill amended 22 acts to adapt our legislation to this growing threat. The definition of 'terrorism offence' was amended to include treason—the act of betraying one's country—in the Crimes Act 1914.

We have dual-national Australians who have pledged their allegiance to Islamic State and are levying war against our Commonwealth. That is high treason. If trampling human rights, if brutal executions, if persecuting religious minorities and if using women as sex slaves are not enough, these people have also betrayed Australia. That is why I support this legislation and its power to strip dual-national foreign fighters of their Australian citizenship. It is good policy but it is also the right thing to do.