Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) expresses a concern that persons convicted in Australia of being a member of a terrorist organisation, in circumstances where they are recent migrants to Australia and liable to future deportation would:

  (i) potentially present a significant national security and social cohesion problem in prisons, where they might spread their ideology, and

  (ii) will attract significant state or territory taxpayer cost for the years served in incarceration – potentially in high security arrangements – for the offence; and

(b) calls upon the Attorney-General to work with state and territory Attorneys-General to establish criteria for:

  (i) circumstances where such individuals will be deported immediately, rather than serving a sentence of imprisonment, and

  (ii) giving weight to the prospect the destination country will imprison the deportee.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first priority of the government is to keep Australian citizens safe. Noncitizens who commit crimes are subject to visa cancellations and deportations. Since being elected, the government has cancelled the visas of over 3,700 noncitizens on character grounds, including more than 190 bikies, 300 for child sex offences and almost 1,200 people for assault and other violent crimes. Australian citizens who commit crimes including terrorist offences are subject to criminal prosecution. The government has passed legislation to strip the Australian citizenship of dual nationals who commit terrorism or acts contrary to their allegiance to Australia. So far a total of six dual nationals have been stripped of their Australian citizenship.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that motion No. 1072, moved by Senator Bernardi, be agreed to.