Strengthening The Character Test Bill

Liberty Victoria strongly opposes the Bill and calls for an inquiry into the character
visa cancellation and refusal framework.
Our principal concerns with the Bill can be summarised as follows:
(1) No compelling case has been put forward by the Government to justify the
amendments. They do not achieve their intended purpose;
(2) The amendments set an arbitrary and inconsistent standard of ‘character’;
(3) The amendments, far from creating an objective standard, create
considerable uncertainty;
(4) The amendments are inconsistent with Australia’s international obligations;
(5) The amendments would have a severe impact on particular groups in the
Australian community, including victim-survivors of family violence, children,
refugees, and people with mental illness; and
(6) The amendments would have numerous unintended consequences,
including on the criminal and administrative jurisdictions and service
providers within those spaces.