Rudd takes charge of Australia visa row with China
August 24 2009 by Matt Jones
Kevin Rudd guides Australian Immigration
In support of the controversial granting of the Kadeer visa, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that Australian immigration decides who gets a visa, not a foreign country.
On Friday Mr Rudd said: “"The government I lead is one where Australia makes decisions on who it issues visas to or not. The Liberal Party is now saying that when it comes to Australia's visa policy that we've got to get a permit slip from another country.”
Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne said that this undiplomatic action by Australia has caused relations with China to worsen.
Pyne said: "That is an unwelcome development and I think it flows from the familiarity that this government believed that it had with China. Unfortunately China is believing it can influence activities in Australia, whether they're film festivals, whether they're who the National Press Club can have speak."
Pyne said Rudd had become too well acquainted with China who he calls a, “very important trading partner, but still a totalitarian regime.”
Pyne said that Australia has formed special links with China, but they are doing more harm to the country than good. He also said that the relationship had been mishandled.
Foreign Minister Steven Smith said that the Australia visa was granted to Kadeer after all the necessary checks were performed and because Australia is a country that believes in the freedom of speech.
Rudd said that the Australian relationship with China is complex and requires careful handling and that the opposition are using the situation to, “play domestic politics."
This saga began with questions over whether a film should be allowed to be shown at an Australian film festival and escalated to a suspected terrorist hampering international relations. Rudd hopes to prevent such occurrences again by setting a strict example, which follows the tightening of immigration laws for people looking to work in Australia to prevent gangs moving there.
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