Labor’s failures on community safety are simply unacceptable.
Last year, the Labor Government released 153 criminals into the community, including child sex offenders, rapists and murderers.
This was after being caught flat-footed by a High Court decision, without legislation ready to fix the problem. At least 30 of these criminals have since been charged for new offences.
Recently, it has emerged dozens more non-citizen criminals have had their visa cancellations overturned by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. This includes child rapists, repeat domestic violence perpetrators and drug traffickers.
This is because of a Government decision - known as “Direction 99” - which means an offender’s ties to Australia must now be a primary consideration for the Tribunal.
The Department of Home Affairs admitted it warned the Minister that his change could lead to more visa cancellations being overturned.
He ignored this warning.
Media reported this week that a man had the cancellation of his visa reversed - due to Direction 99 - despite having been convicted of eight counts of rape, 48 counts of sexual assault, and three counts of indecent treatment of children under 16.
When asked at Senate Estimates about whether Minister Giles was warned about the consequences of these changes, the Department of Home Affairs admitted it warned Giles in a briefing that his Direction 99 changes could lead to 25% more visa cancellations for non-citizen criminals being overturned.
A document released by Home Affairs also revealed that this entire debacle was borne of Prime Minister Albanese’s meeting with the Prime Minister of New Zealand after he capitulated to pressure to stop deporting criminals from New Zealand.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister finally revealed he has got it all wrong on Direction 99 and he promised to amend it.
Sadly, that’s too late for people who have been victims of crime of those who his Direction 99 has unfortunately affected.
DANGEROUS CRIMINALS ALLOWED TO STAY
As a result of Labor's issuing of Direction 99, dangerous criminals have been allowed to stay in our country.
The Direction 99 issue is one of the Prime Minister's own making.
He owns this debacle on Direction 99 because it was his own undertaking to the former New Zealand PM that led to weakening our laws.
It's no good Labor blaming the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, blaming the Home Affairs Department, trying to shift responsibility.
There were continuous representations to Australia from the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern and from the High Commissioner from New Zealand.
The Coalition in Government rejected the proposal by New Zealand, for good reason. But under Labor's Direction 99, serious criminals have been able to stay.
Now, under pressure, it seems Labor will revoke, or at least significantly refine, Direction 99.
Why is that needed if Prime Minister Albanese is trying to say there's no problem here?
Last year the Government released 153 criminals into the community, including child sex offenders and murderers.
This was after being caught flat-footed by a High Court decision, without legislation ready to fix the problem. At least 30 of these criminals have since been charged for new offences.
Labor’s failures on community safety are simply unacceptable.
REALLY, MR GILES - YOU'RE SENDING UP DRONES?
In another thought bubble on Friday, Andrew Giles said criminals are being monitored by drones.
Today, his claim was shot down. There are no drones.
The AFP, the Australian Border Force and state and territory police forces do not use drones for Operation Aegis, which tracks people released as a result of the high court ruling on indefinite detention.
Instead of taking the blame and apologising, he once again blamed his department for giving him incorrect advice.
This is all the more reason for him to resign, or for Prime Minister Albanese to sack him.
ANDREW GILES WAS WARNED
The Department of Home Affairs admitted it warned the Minister that his change could lead to more visa cancellations being overturned.
He ignored this warning.
Media reported this week that a man had the cancellation of his visa reversed - due to Direction 99 - despite having been convicted of eight counts of rape, 48 counts of sexual assault, and three counts of indecent treatment of children under 16.
When asked at Senate Estimates about whether Minister Giles was warned about the consequences of these changes, the Department of Home Affairs admitted it warned Giles in a briefing that his Direction 99 changes could lead to 25% more visa cancellations for non-citizen criminals being overturned.
A document released by Home Affairs also revealed that this entire debacle was borne of Prime Minister Albanese’s meeting with the Prime Minister of New Zealand after he capitulated to pressure to stop deporting criminals from New Zealand.
NZYQ MATTER – IT JUST GETS WORSE AND WORSE UNDER LABOR
At Senate Estimates last week, shocking new figures were revealed which highlight the Albanese Government’s inept handling of this critical community safety matter.
At least two murderers from the NZYQ cohort are in the community without electronic monitoring;
At least two murderers from the NZYQ cohort are also exempt from curfews;
26 sex offenders, including child sex offenders (out of 39) are no longer being electronically monitored; and
27 sex offenders, including child sex offenders (out of 39) also no longer have a curfew imposed.
Considering Minister Giles and Minister O’Neil are at pains to say that community safety is paramount, and that all released detainees were being “constantly monitored” – we now know this is not the case.
It’s just not good enough.
Mr Dutton cancelled more than 6,300 visas – more than any Minister since Federation.
Mr Albanese watered down the law under Direction 99 and that’s why we are seeing the complete failure by this Government and the hapless Minister for Immigration, Andrew Giles.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL HAS BEEN BLISSFULLY UNAWARE
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was blissfully unaware dangerous criminals were being allowed to stay in Australia as a result of the Albanese Government’s disastrous Direction 99.
This was despite Mr Dreyfus having direct oversight of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, an agency within his own portfolio.
In Senate Estimates it was revealed Mr Dreyfus sits on the Government’s Significant Legal Issues Committee - but Direction 99 was never discussed by the committee.
The Attorney-General’s department confirmed there are 600 significant legal issues dealt with each year but are still unsure if the Direction 99 disaster is a significant legal issue.
Mark Dreyfus has been proved incredibly incompetent by not identifying this matter as a significant legal issue - and this is symptomatic of the incompetence of the Albanese Labor Government.
The Coalition will fix Labor's mess - as we always do.
ARE WE BETTER OFF? OR IS LABOR FAILING WEST AUSSIES?
It is very clear to me that the Albanese Labor Government is failing Australian families, households and small businesses.
The Labor Government was elected on the promise of delivering a $275 reduction in power bills, “cheaper mortgages,” and making Australian families better off.
All those promises and more have been broken by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his team.
Mr Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have now had three budgets to get things right, but their decisions have just made it harder for Australian families and communities.
Every credible economist was scathing of Labor’s Budget, which failed to tackle inflation and is making our economic situation worse. As the Reserve Bank Governor has noted, our inflation is largely homegrown.
With last week marking two years since the election of the Albanese Labor Government, there are two questions every Australian should ask themselves.
Are you better off today than you were two years ago? And do you feel safer or more secure than you did two years ago?
As I move around our community talking to people, most Australians, and West Australians in particular, answer no to both questions.
The Coalition will not turn our backs on West Australians or undercut the industries that make this great State tick as Labor has done:
We will slash project approval timeframes in half without compromising on standards.
To further speed up processes, we will accredit the states and territories to provide approvals that meet Commonwealth legislation requirements.
We will defund the Environmental Defenders Office, which is halting vital projects through lawfare, and we will seek to limit the ability of third parties to challenge decisions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
We will bring back ministerial accountability for decisions.
We will re-introduce geological bio-regional assessments in key regions to develop projects.
Specifically regarding gas, we will commit to an annual release of offshore acreage for exploration and development in WA and the NT; we will also reinstate the National Gas Infrastructure Plan to ensure that gas goes where it’s needed.
In the latest Budget, the Treasurer allocated $20 million to help accelerate approvals for renewables projects. We will ensure gas and critical minerals projects are also eligible for this funding so their approvals can be prioritised and accelerated.
You can read more in my latest op-ed in the West here.
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