Media release
Federal leader of the Palmer United Party and Member for Fairfax, Clive Palmer, has voiced his support of the Australian Bar Association’s opposition to the revocation of citizenship without conviction.
“I share the Australian Bar Association’s (ABA) deep concern about proposed changes to legislation and the circumstances in which citizenship can be revoked,’’ Mr Palmer said.
ABA President Fiona McLeod said in a statement the Association had serious concerns with the Discussion Paper Australian Citizenship, Your Right, Your Responsibility issued by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
“Any proposal which suggests that a Minister might assume the power to take action impacting upon fundamental rights of citizenship before a criminal conviction has been secured is deeply troubling,’’ she said.
Mr Palmer said he agreed wholeheartedly with the ABA’s view that a minister should not be given a power to decide that citizenship should be revoked on the basis of intelligence, or information that would not be admissible in court proceedings.
“The principles of a fair trial and the rules of evidence must be protected in order for our great democracy to flourish,’’ Mr Palmer said.
“The Government is entering into very dangerous territory by attempting exclude judicial scrutiny and erode our rights and freedoms as Australian citizens under the Constitution,’’ Mr Palmer said.
ENDS