Prime Minister Tony Abbott flags 'red card' system to ban 'hate preachers' from Australian visas

Updated

Prime Minister Tony Abbott wants to set up a "red card" system to stop "hate preachers" getting visas to come to Australia.

Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir has planned to hold a public lecture in Sydney on Friday about the US-led military action in Iraq and Syria.

The lecture, entitled The War To End The Blessed Revolution, will focus on the West's role in attacking the "noble Syrian revolution".

"There's no point in importing troublemakers from overseas to stir people up," Mr Abbott told Macquarie Radio.

"The thing I do want to do swiftly ... is put in place a system whereby these preachers of hate - such as the individual I believe is the top drawer speaker on Friday night - these preachers of hate are not allowed into Australia."

Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman Uthman Badar said Mr Abbott's announcement did not come as a surprise.

He said the speakers for Friday's public lecture are all "local".

"There are no 'top draw' or international speakers. Evidently, the Prime Minister is not interested in facts when seeking to silence political dissent or whip up Islamophobic hysteria," Mr Badar said in a statement.

The Government already has sweeping powers to deny people entry into Australia.

The character test in the Migration Act allows the Immigration Minister and the Department to refuse or cancel a visa for a variety of reasons.

They include if a person has a "substantial criminal record", if there is a risk they will "vilify a segment of the Australian community" and if "the person is found to be not of good character".

Mr Abbott said he did not think new legislation would be needed to introduce the red card system.

"What needs to happen is better coordination between our agencies so that Immigration knows who these people are, it can tag them should they apply for a visa and it can refuse visas to people who are coming to this country to peddle extreme and alien ideologies", Mr Abbott said.

"I am sorry we have not red-carded these hate preachers before now but it will happen and it will happen quickly."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said senior ministers already had enough powers.

"If the talk is on Friday, I'm informed the existing laws are able to deal with hate speech," Mr Shorten told reporters.

"The Foreign Minister or the Minister for Immigration currently have the capacity to refuse a visa applicant entry."

Abbott frustrated, angry Hizb ut-Tahrir not banned

The Prime Minister said he was "frustrated and angry" Hizb ut-Tahrir could not be banned under existing law.

He said the organisation campaigned against Australian values.

"Under the law we are bringing through the Parliament [the Foreign Fighters Bill], hopefully before the end of the year, it will be an offence to promote terrorism," he said.

"Then I suppose we need to have another look at Hizb ut-Tahrir... I'll need to get fresh legal advice."

The organisation, which aims to re-establish an Islamic caliphate as an independent state, is banned in a number of countries.

In June, Mr Badar had been due to give a speech titled Honour Killings Are Morally Justified at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas.

The event was cancelled after it sparked an angry response on social media and talkback radio, and drew strong condemnation from two New South Wales Government ministers.

Australia has joined the US-led coalition in air combat missions over Iraq, targeting militants from the Islamic State group.

Two hundred special forces are currently in the Middle East awaiting final approval to advise the Iraqi army.

Topics: terrorism, unrest-conflict-and-war, islam, australia

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