02:10

The Nick Xenophon Team has derailed the immigration minister Peter Dutton’s attempt to enact tough new citizenship laws, saying it cannot support his controversial package in its current form.

NXT senator Stirling Griff has told Fairfax Media (and Guardian Australia has confirmed) he and his colleagues have decided not to support the government’s bill at it stands, saying Dutton’s plan is “an attempt to fix problems that don’t exist.”

We’re a nation built on migration and the envy of the world when it comes to a harmonious society. The system isn’t broken, there’s no need for it to be repaired.

Labor, the Greens and NXT are enough to sink the package in the Senate, meaning the Turnbull government will have to dump the citizenship bill altogether or make substantial changes.

It comes hours before a parliamentary committee report is expected to recommend the government weaken elements of its citizenship bill, including watering down its proposed English language requirements for people seeking Australian citizenship.

The government’s proposed citizenship overhaul includes increasing waiting times for permanent residents before they can apply for citizenship (from one year to four years), and forcing new applicants to complete a tougher English language test (and achieve a pass mark of 75%) equivalent to level 6 of the international English language testing system (IELTS).

It also wants to give the immigration minister power to overrule decisions on citizenship applications by the administrative appeals tribunal (AAT) if the minister doesn’t think the decisions are in the national interest, and give the minister power to decide whether or not the applicant has integrated into the Australian community.

NXT senator Stirling Griff warned in June that he was “deeply worried” about the power the bill would give Dutton to overrule citizenship decisions by the AAT.

On Monday Nick Xenophon told the Conversation that he had “serious concerns” about the legislation in its current form.