Peter Dutton Slammed for Seeking ‘Trump-Like’ Powers, But He Thinks They’re "Perfectly Reasonable"

The immigration minister has proposed a bill targeting foreign nationals; it would require them to revalidate their visas.

Fairfax reports the proposed Migration Act amendment has been labeled “Trump-like” by the Labor opposition.

Specifically, the bill would allow Dutton to force entire groups of visa-holders to pass a revalidation check. Groups could be targeted based on their nationality, place of residency or travel history.

A number of legal experts have criticised the proposal for being “too broad” and giving Dutton overreaching powers without parliamentary checks. It’s interesting to note: Labor had originally planned to support the bill, but has now decided to oppose it unless certain elements of it are removed or changed.

Dutton reckons the bill is necessary to facilitate the introduction of longer-term visas, such as the 10-year multiple-entry visitor visa for Chinese nationals. However, it would also allow Dutton to “identify any group of people based on a shared common characteristic or circumstance”.

Shayne Neumann, Labor’s immigration spokesperson, said Dutton is trying to target people from particular parts of the globe, similar to the U.S. President’s recent executive order travel ban.

“Labor cannot give Trump-like powers to a man that has such a high desire to see a divided Australia,” urged Neumann. “This minister cannot be trusted with wide-ranging, unfettered powers over the visas of whole groups of people.”

The Turnbull government says the changes would actually encourage more people to come to Australia. Apparently, the legislation will make it easier for them to travel back and forth frequently over a long period of time.

“This [bill] will result in a significant reduction in red tape for low-risk, high-volume travellers to Australia,” Dutton told Parliament.

He has denied claims he’s seeking “Trump-like” powers, and described hypothetical scenarios where putting "a suspension" in place would be "perfectly reasonable in the national interest," including an "ebola" or "bird flu" crisis.

Photo: Giphy and Facebook (@peterduttonmp)