24: Australia [Not really funny]

[bungo]

In a not-so-distant possible future, Angus Macarthur sits at a table in a strongly-lit basement room somewhere underneath the Central Office of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation in Canberra. Two officers, Dwayne X. and Daryl Y., stand opposite him

Comments

[reverancepavane]

Indeed. Although there is a disloyalty clause in Article 8 of the 1954 UN Convention on Stateless Persons. Which is why the unamended act allows Australia to strip citizenship from individuals serving in the armed forces of a nation at war with Australia (all hard facts provable in a court of law).

This has been amended to being "you engage in various kinds of conduct inconsistent with allegiance to Australia" which is almost a thought crime to be decided by the Government (even if that statement is expanded by concrete examples). Which is what they tried to do with the anti-Communist Party legislation in the 1950s, which was struck down by the High Court.

Even so, it is purposefully limited to situations where they have dual citizenship to avoid directly triggering the UN Convention (to which we are a signee) by leaving someone stateless.

[bungo]

Any recent developments to report? If I remember right, the bill passed with the support of the "opposition". Has the Government attempted to use it?

[hnpcc]

If they continue down the path the UK is debating then it will be:

"Don't you have Canadian relatives on your mother's side? So there's a possibility Canada might pick you up as a citizen? Brilliant, continue the citizenship stripping process..."