May 26, 2022
Pressure on Australian Labor to change 501 law
An advocate for New Zealanders facing deportation under Australian visa rules hopes the new Labor Government will quickly move to address section 501 of the Immigration Act.
Queensland -based Vicky Rose from Ngāi Tahu says Labor has a manifesto promise to address the section that allows the immigration minister to deport people at whim.
She says new prime minister Anthony Albanese and some of the key members of his team are primed for change.
“Anthony Albanese is a union man and the unions are pushing this too. There’s a whole pile of bodies behind this. Things like Covid, fires, floods, all the rest of it has shined a light on the lack of reciprocity here,” she says.
Vicky Rose says Māori have been disproportionately affected by 501 deportations.