John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

On Thursday of last week, I took on notice an element of a supplementary question that was asked of me by Senator Ludlam that related to relatives of Burmese regime officials currently in Australia. I have an answer to that part of the supplementary question. I seek leave to incorporate it into Hansard.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

Question taken on Notice from Senator Ludlam Thursday 12 March 2009

Are any relatives of Burmese regime officials currently in Australia; and if so, why?

Senator Faulkner supplied the following answer:

Yes.

The Government maintains financial sanctions and travel restrictions targeted at senior Burmese regime figures and their associates and supporters. The Government announced a reviewed list of 463 sanctioned individuals on 22 October 2008.

Sanctioned individuals include members of the State Peace and Development Council, ministers, senior military figures, prominent business associates of the regime, and immediate family members (ie. spouses and children) of these individuals. Grandchildren fall outside the scope of Australia’s range of sanctions measures against the Burmese regime. Lower ranking officials also fall outside the scope of Australia’s sanctions regime.

Where it becomes apparent that an individual falling within the ambit of the sanctions regime is present in Australia, this information is drawn to the attention of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Minister for Foreign Affairs will consider each case on its merits and, where appropriate, has the authority under the 2.43 of the Migration Regulations 1994 to determine that a person’s presence in Australia is, or would be contrary to Australia’s foreign policy interests, thereby providing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship with grounds to cancel the visa under section 116 of the Migration Act.