ANDREW GILES MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CITIES AND URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
SHADOW MINISTER ASSISTING FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
MEMBER FOR SCULLIN
VISA PRIVATISATION DOOMED
The Morrison Government has hit a roadblock in its plan to privatise Australia’s visa system.
The Department of Home Affairs’ own advice is that this privatisation requires legislative change.
The Senate has voted time and time again against selling off our visa system. Labor along with the crossbench strongly opposes the privatisation of Australia’s visa system.
It is highly unlikely the Government will have the support of the Senate meaning visa privatisation is set to be doomed.
2,000 jobs Australia-wide have been at risk because Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton want to sell off our visa system.
Privatising Australia’s visa system would be a disaster.
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has warned that the Morrison Government’s plan to privatise Australia’s visa system could lead to another “robodebt’ debacle.
The CPSU has said that the private operator will have “immense discretion” to determine who is issued a visa to come to Australia.
A former senior Immigration Department executive also recently warned of "immense" risks from outsourcing of visa processing.
A similar privatisation scheme in the United Kingdom has prompted a strong backlash - with lawyers and MPs calling for an investigation into the private scheme that rips off migrants and allows big companies to reap millions.
Even Tony Abbott’s former Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin has been critical of the proposal.
This is another embarrassing blow to Peter Dutton who continues to mismanage the Department of Home Affairs.
It’s now time for Morrison and Dutton to abandon the privatisation of our visa system.