More than 20 visas of foreigners with serious criminal histories have been cancelled by Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.
The federal government had previously cancelled the visas of non-citizens convicted of crimes including murder, sexual assault and drug trafficking.
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal overturned more than 180 visa cancellations under its interpretation of the ministerial ruling known as direction 99, which forced decision-makers to consider a person’s ties to Australia before deporting them.
Mr Giles said he would urgently review up to 30 visa cases of non-citizens who have failed character tests after the AAT allowed them to remain in the country.
Bringing back Frydenberg would be ‘crazy’: Jane Hume
Liberal senator Jane Hume has hit out at suggestions that Josh Frydenberg should contest his old seat of Kooyong in the next federal election.
The former treasurer is reportedly considering running for the Melbourne seat after the Australian Electoral Commission announced new draft electorate boundaries on Friday.
Liberal MP Karen Andrews said Mr Frydenberg would be an “absolute asset” to the party in the lead up to 2025.
“(The Liberal Party) should do all they can to attract him back into our parliament and clearly if that means reopening preselections then that has to be considered,” Ms Andrews told ABC Radio National.
Signalling a growing divide over Mr Frydenberg’s speculated political return, Senator Hume told Sky News that the already preselected 31-year-old Amelia Harmer was the prime candidate for the high-profile seat.
“The party has already preselected Amelia Harmer, and Amelia is a highly qualified woman. Why would they open the preselections based on draft boundaries alone?,” Senator Hume said.
“Draft boundaries change all the time, they have done in the past, it would be a crazy thing to do.”
Source Agencies
