In a sign of a change in approach to the issue, Albanese said his government would take a “common sense” approach to deportations, but did not detail what form this would take. However, he indicated that there would be no legislative change in the Act or a relaxation of the proof of character in section 501, which describes the reasons why the minister may cancel visas.
“The 501s will continue to exist. We will continue to deport people when needed,” Albanese said.
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“But we will have some common sense that applies here. When you have a circumstance in which someone has lived their whole life, indeed, in Australia without any connection to New Zealand, common sense should be applied, and we will act as friends, and work on these issues with common sense. “
Albanese said the government was also open to extending voting rights to New Zealand residents in Australia and would ask the joint standing committee of parliament on electoral issues to consider the issue.
“In New Zealand, if you are an Australian who has been resident for a year, you have the right to vote in New Zealand; you can fully participate in these processes, ”Albanese said.
He said the joint committee would consider whether “there is a way back to the systems that have existed in the past” that gave the people of New Zealand who live, work and pay taxes, voting rights in Australia.
“We will not anticipate this process,” Albanese said.
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