By ANEEKA SIMONIS
CONCERNS about a law that will see dual-nationality terrorists stripped of their Australian citizenships have been raised by McMillan MP Russel Broadbent.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott last week proposed to strip dual-nationals of their Australian citizenship if they were found fighting or supporting terrorists groups at home or abroad.
The national security legislation is due to be finalised within weeks.
Though Mr Abbott said the plan will be subject to judicial review in the Federal Court, the long-term Liberal representative for McMillan expressed his concerns.
“We need to see if they will have the right of appeal as is available under common law,” he said, adding the need for judicial oversight.
“What are the safeguards that might protect someone against inappropriate use of legislation?”
Mr Broadbent, a co-convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of Multiculturalism group, said dangerous stereotypes are causing isolation between Muslim and non-Muslim residents in his electorate.
“In some cases, children that look different because they are Middle Eastern but were born here and their parents were born here (are being met with attitudes from others that) they shouldn’t be associating with these people,” he said.
“I abhor conflicts from other countries being brought into this country.
“We need national leadership to continue multi-cultural cohesion throughout the country was has been done successfully for years,” he said.
A number of backbenchers took the proposed legislation one step further, pushing for sole nationals involved in terrorism to also have their citizenship stripped.
The proposal, signed by 37 members of parliament, was handed to Prime Minster Tony Abbott ahead of a cabinet meeting on Monday, 1 June.
The government has called for submissions on the proposal and will conduct a formal consultation process.
Last week, Victoria Police announced a new taskforce to help monitor and manage people who pose state security risks.
Taskforce Pax will provide a greater focus on intelligence collection in relation to people considered a risk to national security.
Currently, police respond to about 300 security threat calls each month, up from 30 to 50 calls in previous months.
Assistant Commissioner Tracy Linford said the taskforce will help assess and prioritise information received as well as deploy qualified health professionals such as psychologists to target at risk youths at the earliest stage.
“The teams will provide us with a much better picture in relation to persons who may pose a security threat to Victoria,” she said.
“This gives us the chance to focus on identifying those youths most at risk of radicalisation and to engage with them or their families directly.”
Currently, the country’s national security threat level is high.
The government has called for submissions on the proposal and will conduct a formal consultation process.
