May 28, 2024
NATALIE BARR: The Immigration Minister is under fire this morning after it was revealed that nearly a fifth of the 153 former immigration detainees who were freed after a landmark High Court ruling last year, have since been charged with new offences post release. Now it comes amid news that at least three foreign child abusers were allowed to stay in this country because of a direction Andrew Giles gave to take a foreign offenders ties to Australia as the main factor when considering visa cancellation appeals. Joining me now is Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson. Good morning to you.
JAMES PATERSON: Good morning.
BARR: So the Minister's side of the story is that the management of state crimes is a matter for state jurisdictions, and that a tribunal made these decisions. Not him. What do you say?
PATERSON: Well, this is yet more excuses from Andrew Giles and the Albanese government for their utter failure to protect Australians. Right now we have a detainee crime spree with nearly 20% of those released by the High Court under the NZYQ decision now having reoffended in the community. And the problem with that is that Andrew Giles and Clare O'Neil have the power to get these people off the streets with a preventive detention order that the parliament gave them in December last year, more than six months ago, and they haven't used it a single time. And we now know of at least four child sex offenders who remain in this country, who are not citizens, who would normally have been deported, except for a direction that Andrew Giles gave his department, that they should not be deported. So Australians are being exposed to very serious violent criminals because this government is too weak to protect them.
BARR: Okay, so if you're watching this story, look, it's confusing, isn't it? Because a lot of people are going to be thinking, hang on, didn't the High Court let these people out? And can't the government not do anything about it? Can you explain to us why you think they can?
PATERSON: Yes. The High Court made a decision, but then the Parliament made another decision. We passed a law which allowed people who pose a risk to the community to be preventively detained. Now, I think if you're committing an offence, with a recidivism rate of 20%, then you are a serious risk to the community and the government should apply to the court to get this people off the streets. But on the other issue are people who should be deported from our country. There is no barrier, except the weakness of the Albanese government, to getting rid of these people. Under the previous Liberal government, we got rid of people like this. Under the next Liberal government, whenever its elected, we will get rid of people like this. But under this weak government they are letting these people stay.
BARR: So we've got child rapists and murderers here not being deported. Do you think the Minister's job is in danger?
PATERSON: It's untenable. The minister should have been sacked weeks, if not months ago, but he should certainly be sacked this week. And after the Prime Minister sacks him the next thing he should do is repeal direction 99, which Andrew Giles issued, which allowed these people to stay in our country, which told the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and other bodies that you have to consider this person's ties to Australia, even if they're not a citizen and even if they commit a serious crime like a child sex abuse.
BARR: Okay. Just on something else before we let you go. There's growing concern this morning over the influence of the Chinese Communist Party on Australian politics. This comes after 11 MPs who attended an event celebrating the inauguration of Taiwan's new president was sent an email, an unsolicited one. The message criticised the pollies for attending that function, calling it a violation of the One China principle. What do you think of that?
PATERSON: Well, this is a clumsy and totally inappropriate attempt to intervene in Australian politics. Our politicians don't need advice from the Chinese government about what events we can attend in our own country, and they would be much to back off and respect our sovereignty.
BARR: Ok James Paterson, thank you very much for your time.
PATERSON: Thank you.
ENDS
