Philip Ruddock explains new 'special envoy' title after counterterrorism measures questioned in Senate estimates hearing

Updated

Philip Ruddock has clarified his role in citizenship and community engagement after bureaucrats and ministers struggled to explain the detail of new counterterrorism measures announced by the Prime Minister this week.

Tony Abbott has appointed a new counterterrorism co-ordinator and given Justice Minister Michael Keenan an extra role, and yesterday announced he would go ahead with plans to strip some people involved in terrorism of their citizenship.

He has also given veteran parliamentarian Mr Ruddock the title of special envoy for citizenship and community engagement and announced extra responsibilities for parliamentary secretary Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.

Mr Ruddock this morning described his new role as "reviewing the eligibility requirements for citizenship".

He said one of the responsibilities he and Ms Fierravanti-Wells would take on was reviewing the Australian citizenship pledge.

"One of the things we are to look at ... [is] whether the oath is sufficient in drawing attention to the nature of the obligations [people] are assuming," he told 612 ABC Brisbane.

Mr Ruddock said he would also be part of discussions about how dual citizens involved in terrorism could be stripped of their Australian citizenship.

"It's been made clear in the legislation that you will not be able to strip citizenship from a person and leave them stateless ... but we will look at where people have eligibility for another citizenship, whether we could terminate their Australian citizenship," he said.

The Immigration Department has called for Australians to share their thoughts on the citizenship to be considered in the review.

But there was some confusion about the changes during Senate estimates hearings last night.

At the hearing, Immigration Department secretary Mike Pezzullo advised LNP senator Ian Macdonald there was "certainly detail in the consultation paper that is on the website" about Mr Ruddock's role, but the consultation paper does not refer specifically to the special envoy position.

Greens criticize measures as 'policy on the run'

Labor's Senate leader Penny Wong was told the creation of a counterterrorism co-ordinator position, which will be filled by seasoned diplomat Greg Moriarty, was a recommendation of a recent review into counterterrorism.

But she was told that review did not call for the creation of a new position of Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Counterterrorism, which has been given to Mr Keenan.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann told her it was the Prime Minister's decision.

"And as with all things, ultimately the buck stops with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is very focused on the Government's responsibilities to keep Australia safe and secure," Senator Cormann said.

Labor's Immigration spokesman, Richard Marles, said the Opposition would carefully examine the Government's plan to allow the Immigration Minister to remove citizenship from Australians if they had been fighting with terrorist groups.

"There is obviously a convention against statelessness and that's the kind of thing we need to have a look at when we actually get to see the legislation," Mr Marles said.

"They're the kinds of issues that we will scrutinise. But the fundamental principle of updating a long-held idea within our law that people who fight against Australia lose their citizenship is a principle we support and we support it being updated."

Greens Immigration spokeswoman Penny Wright said the need to protect people from becoming stateless was paramount.

"At a minimum, in relation to any nationality decision — which is fundamental to a person's ability to exist in the world — there has to be a judicial process," Senator Wright said.

"It has to be a judge who makes those decisions. There have to be appeal rights.

"The difficulty is that there is no detail here. What we have is a government, in my view, that is making policy on the run."

Topics: terrorism, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia

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