Denis O’Rourke MP

Spokesperson for Justice

Constitutional Review
12 NOVEMBER 2015

Debate Needed on Aussie Deportation Law

Australia is getting away with blue murder with its Draconian deportation laws in which visa holders have been convicted of a crime punishable by a year or more in prison, says New Zealand First Spokesperson on Justice Denis O’Rourke.

“Any respectable First World country has laws that protect everyone, so people who are mainly innocent people are not caught by the reaction to the worst offenders.

“With New Zealand law being significantly more lenient by using a range of criteria for deportation on the grounds of criminal offending, and protecting offenders who have been residents for over 10 years from deportation, it is time that Parliament debated the issue instead of concentrating on Prime Ministerial behaviour.

“For that purpose New Zealand First moved that the House do just that today under Standing Order 4. It was ruled out of order for non-compliance with Standing Order 5. In fact it is not necessarily non-compliant when that Standing Order allows a member to move a motion relating to an ‘other matter in that member's charge’ when the issue concerned is a matter in no ministers' or particular members' charge (and therefore as much in my charge as any other members').

“For that reason it is a great shame that the debate was not allowed so that the New Zealand First motion could be debated.”

The motion was: “That the House debate the differences between Australian law on cancellation of visas and deportation of persons convicted of crimes punishable by a year or more in prison, and New Zealand's laws on the same subject; and what (if any) action the New Zealand government should now take.”

ENDS

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