Cut minister’s powers over immigration, says report
Connie Levett; 10/7/08
An independent report has recommended the discretionary powers of the Minister for Immigration be reduced, while questioning the Immigration Department’s confidence in its own decision-making ability. The report, by the businesswoman Elizabeth Proust, said that where possible, the minister’s discretionary powers should be delegated to the department or a tribunal, and where the powers belonged to the minister alone, regulations could be changed to allow greater delegation. The minister’s discretionary powers were introduced in 1989, and were intended to be limited. In recent years, the number of applications to the minister has surged, with more than 4000 requests for ministerial intervention lodged in the 2006-07 financial year.
Tags: Australia, Migrants & Refugees