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Crims’return‘illegal’By EHSSAN VEISZADEH

CANBERRA: A Coalitionpolicy to send criminal refu-gees back to countries wherethey may be in danger hasbeen slammed as illegal.

The Federal Coalition yes-terday announced asylumseekers and other foreignersconvicted of serious crimes,punishable by more than ayear in jail would have visascancelled and be deported.

Under the proposedchanges, people who havehad their visas cancelled willalso lose their right to appealthe cancellation decisions.

Shadow attorney-generalGeorge Brandis says thechanges are aimed at protect-ing Australians fromforeign criminals.

He says Labor’s failed bor-der policies had made Aust-ralian streets less safe.

‘‘The Coalition is con-cerned about the link be-tween illegal immigrationand crime and we propose todo something about it,’’ hetold Network Ten.

Asked whether approvedrefugees would be deported,even if there was a presump-tion that they faced danger,Senator Brandis said: ‘‘Wewould rescind the visa.’’

International law forbidsasylum seekers from beingreturned to countries wherethey may be persecuted.

Deputy Opposition LeaderJulie Bishop insisted the Co-alition wouldn’t breach in-ternational law under theplan. Asked where a Coalit-ion government would sendasylum seekers if theycouldn’t be returned to theplace they fled, Ms Bishop re-plied: ‘‘We would send themback to the place where theycame from.’’

Immigration MinisterBrendan O’Connor dis-missed the plan as being partof Opposition Leader TonyAbbott’s ‘‘cynical campaignto raise fear’’.

Australian Greens SenatorSarah Hanson-Young saidsending refugees back to re-gimes that were likely toharm them was illegal.

‘‘Tony Abbott knows thisbut because his appetite forfear-mongering can’t be sat-isfied, he will do anything todrag the national debate to anew low,’’ she said.

Mr O’Connor will, in theremaining two weeks of Par-liament, urge the Coalitionand the Greens to supportthe Government’s Malaysiapeople swap deal. Hassan Rowhani won about 18.6 million votes, nearly 51 per cent of the vote Picture: AFP

Carr callsfor end tostand-offCANBERRA: Foreign Minis-ter Bob Carr has called onIran’s newly-elected presid-ent to resume negotiations onthe nation’s controversialnuclear program.

Moderate cleric HassanRowhani’s election victoryends eight years of conservat-ive grip at the top and he willsoon take over from the out-going President MahmoudAhmadinejad.

Mr Rowhani headed Iran’snuclear negotiating team inthe early 2000s under reform-ist president MohammadKhatami and he has beenan outspoken critic ofMr Ahmadinejad.

Senator Carr has imploredMr Rowhani to return to thenegotiating table in a ‘‘seri-ous’’ way and end the nuclearstand-off with the internat-ional community.

The ministry of the in-terior said Mr Rowhani wonabout 18.6 million votes,nearly 51 per cent of the votein a six-man field, three timesthe tally for runner-up Mo-hammad Baqer Qalibaf, themayor of Tehran, who re-ceived only 6.1 million. ‘‘I amhappy that finally the sun ofrationality and moderationshines again in Iran,’’ thepresident-elect said.

MOSQUESTABBINGSLONDON: Three men and a policeofficer have been stabbed ata mosque in Birmingham, Britishpolice say.The male police constable wasresponding to reports thatthree men had been stabbedinside the mosque in the WardEnd area of the city when hewas attacked.The four men are being treatedin hospital for their wounds and

are described as ‘‘stable’’. A32-year-old man has been ar-rested on suspicion ofattemptedmurder.

EMERGENCY LANDINGLONDON: A plane travelling be-tween Egypt and the US hasmade an emergency landing at aScottish airport after a suspici-ous notewas found in a toilet.The aircraft was escorted to Pre-stwick Airport, Ayrshire, by RAF

fighter jets during its flight fromCairo to JFK Airport in NewYork.

MANDELARECOVERINGQUNU: Nelson Mandela seems tobe on the road to recovery froma recurrent lung infection, agrandson said after visitingSouth Africa’s anti-apartheidhero in hospital.The remarks by Mandla Mandelawere the latest sign his 94-year-old grandfather was responding

to treatment after being rushedto hospital a week ago.

PROTESTERSGASSEDISTANBUL: Turkish protestershad been warned but when thepolice intervention finally came,it came suddenly, in a haze ofacrid tear gas, confused screamsand trampled tents.On Saturday, within minutes,the occupation of Istanbul’s GeziPark was over.

Gillard’s school reform message muffledCANBERRA: Prime MinisterJulia Gillard is going into thefinal fortnight of the 43rd Par-liament with her leadershiponce again under threat, asmore negative polls drownout her message on schoolfunding reform.

Ms Gillard wants educat-

ion front and centre of thefinal sitting period before theSeptember 14 election, withthe Senate expected to passthe Government’s so-calledGonski Bill as part of a pack-ed legislative program.

But Ms Gillard is beingdogged by fresh speculation

that Kevin Rudd could takeback the Labor leadership,even though he says he willnot challenge again.

A new Galaxy poll showsthat Mr Rudd’s resurrectionwould deliver a six-point liftin Labor’s primary vote, sav-ing 18 seats and putting it

within striking distance ofvictory in the election.

And a Nielsen poll due outtoday is likely to deliver morebad news for Ms Gillard.

Deputy Opposition LeaderJulie Bishop says the Aust-ralian people are fed up withthe Labor ‘‘merry-go-round’’.