Dozens of visas cancelled in urgent blitz

More than 20 visas of foreigners with serious criminal histories have been cancelled by Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.

The federal government had previously cancelled the visas of non-citizens convicted of crimes including murder, sexual assault and drug trafficking.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal overturned hundreds of cancellations under its interpretation of a ministerial ruling, known as Direction 99, which required decision-makers to consider a person’s ties to Australia before deporting them.

Mr Giles has been under intense pressure after it emerged that criminals, including a man charged with the stabbing murder of a 22-year-old and another man convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl, had their visa cancellations overturned by the AAT under the directive.

After vowing to urgently review at least 30 decisions made by the independent tribunal, a spokesperson from Mr Giles’ office confirmed he had more than doubled the number of re-cancelled visas over the weekend.

Officials said they were working “as quickly as they can” to rewrite new ministerial directive to replace direction 99, which is expected to have a priority focus on community safety.

Wong takes aim at Dutton over ICC

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said Australia has been confronted with a “catastrophic set of circumstances in Gaza” after blasting Peter Dutton’s threat to cut ties with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Appearing at a Senate estimates hearing on Monday, Senator Wong said the Australian government was considering what it can do to “progress the cause of peace” from afar after being questioned over Australia’s vote to grant Palestine full membership at the United Nations earlier this month.

She said the government had “made it clear” that a Palestinian state could not be established in a way would threaten Israeli security.

“This is a very complex problem that has not been able to be resolved, eluded resolution from leaders and presidents and people with much more diplomatic capacity than you or I will ever have,” Senator Wong said.

“But what we can do in this country is try to do the right thing in terms of Australia’s engagement to progress peace.”

Senator Wong also took aim at the Opposition Leader in her opening statement after he suggested that the government should pull out of the ICC after it called for the arrest of Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We do nothing to help make (abiding by international law) it happen by recklessly threatening to pull out of the bodies that uphold international law – that kind of talk may seem tough to some, but it undermines Australia’s core security interests,” she said.

Reopening preselections ‘crazy’: Jane Hume

Liberal senator Jane Hume has hit out at suggestions that Josh Frydenberg should contest his old seat of Kooyong in the next federal election.

The former treasurer is reportedly considering running for the Melbourne seat after the Australian Electoral Commission announced new draft electorate boundaries on Friday.

Liberal MP Karen Andrews said Mr Frydenberg would be an “absolute asset” to the party in the lead up to 2025.

“(The Liberal Party) should do all they can to attract him back into our parliament and clearly if that means reopening preselections then that has to be considered,” Ms Andrews told ABC Radio National.

Signalling a growing divide over Mr Frydenberg’s speculated political return, Senator Hume told Sky News that the already preselected 31-year-old Amelia Harmer was the prime candidate for the high-profile seat.

“The party has already preselected Amelia Harmer, and Amelia is a highly qualified woman. Why would they open the preselections based on draft boundaries alone?,” Senator Hume said.

“Draft boundaries change all the time, they have done in the past, it would be a crazy thing to do.”

More to come