Migration Amendment (Aggregate Sentences) Bill 2023

The majority voted against opposition amendment (1) on sheet 1807, which means it failed. This amendment would have granted the minister additional powers to cancel visas.

What did the amendment do?

Victorian Senator James Paterson (Liberal), who introduced the amendment, explained that:

... we believe this is also an opportunity to even further extend the protections that Australians have against people on visas who commit violent offences. Consistent with the bill that was debated in the House in February last year, the Migration Amendment (Strengthening the Character Test) Bill 2021, introduced by the former government and supported at the time by the then Labor opposition, we believe that the minister should have additional powers. It will not be compulsory for the minister to exercise these powers; it will be up to the judgement of the minister. But it will widen the scope of the minister's power to protect Australians from people who commit very serious crimes but receive shorter sentences than are currently captured by the act.