Anthony Albanese’s government is under fire over a major immigration problem that saw 149 asylum seekers receive invalid visas after being released from detention due to a Supreme Court ruling.
The shocking red tape means that ten prisoners – many of whom had criminal records and were arrested by authorities for allegedly breaching their strict visa conditions – can avoid punishment.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles this morning refused to say who was responsible for the blunder.
That led to a fiery confrontation between Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr and Home Secretary Clare O’Neil on Wednesday morning, with the Seven Network presenter demanding to know: ‘How on earth did this happen?’
Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr (right) asked Home Secretary Clare O’Neil (left) how the Labor government had issued 149 invalid visas to released immigration detainees
Ms O’Neil blamed a problem in a law passed by Parliament in 2013 under Tony Abbott’s government.
“The problem meant that ‘visas issued under (the law), both under our government and previous governments, were effectively immediately invalid,” she claimed.
“The result of this is that we have had to recreate people’s visas that were issued as a result of last year’s Supreme Court ruling,” Ms O’Neil said.
“The most important thing for your viewers is that the safety of the community has been an absolute priority in everything we have covered on this matter.”
Barr asked Ms. O’Neil, “So you’re saying you’ve closed the loophole?”
“We’ve closed Nat’s loophole,” she insisted. ‘This was an issue in the original legislation passed by Parliament in 2013.
“What we’ve done is Australian government lawyers have identified a problem and we’ve taken swift action to address it. All those visas have now been reissued by the Australian government, under strict conditions.’
Financial Opposition spokeswoman Jane Hume refuted Ms O’Neil’s argument, blaming the “incompetent” and “weak” Albanian government.
“This has not been a problem at all under our government,” Senator Hume said.
‘It seems to me, Nat, if it can be arranged quickly through ministerial regulation, there was not necessarily a problem with the original visa legislation.
“We didn’t release criminal inmates in the community. This sounds like a continuation of Minister (Andrew) Giles’ ministerial incompetence.”
‘This is a story of incompetence from going to woe. I sense Clare’s frustration here with her deputy minister Andrew Giles.
“Frankly, the fact that Anthony Albanese has done anything in response to this stuff shows that this is a weak Labor government, a weak government on border security and community safety.”
Barr told ministers: “People at home just want this to be resolved.
‘And it is very difficult to find out which lawyers did what wrong. We just need you to solve it and get the rules right.”
Opposition finance spokesperson Jane Hume (pictured far right) defended the Liberal cabinet that passed the law in 2013, as she lashed the ‘weak’ Albanian government
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Giles refused to answer who was responsible for the blunder when questioned, but said the mistake was first made in 2013.
“This is not a question about blame, it’s a question of looking at problem solving,” he told ABC’s AM show on Wednesday.
It comes after the revelation that immigration detainees have committed 27 alleged crimes since their release in November, prompting calls for Mr Giles’ resignation.
The detainees were released in November following a landmark Supreme Court ruling declaring indefinite detention unlawful.