By Michael Koziol
Several Labor MPs have spoken out against the Turnbull government's proposed changes to Australian citizenship, setting the stage for an internal fight as Immigration Minister Peter Dutton crows over the apparent division.
While leader Bill Shorten has acted cautiously, declaring that tougher English language testing and a four-year wait for citizenship looked "reasonable", MPs from the party's left are in open disagreement.
Anne Aly, a counter-terrorism expert and now West Australian Labor MP, said it was "unfair and unreasonable" to require a higher, university level of English from migrants who sought Australian citizenship.
"I think Labor should oppose it," she said. "I don't think there are that many Australians who would be able to pass that."
'I think Labor should oppose it': Labor MP Anne Aly is against stricter English testing for would-be citizens.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The tougher test would also be "predominantly unfair to women" who are generally behind their spouses on English uptake, Dr Aly said.
The government has also proposed a "values" test to quiz would-be citizens on matters such as forced marriages, genital mutilation and whether it is acceptable to hit your spouse.
Dr Aly said it would be unjust to support such a test unless the government could demonstrate it would actually keep Australians safe.
Otherwise it was "just some grandstanding that looks like its tough on the outside and that panders to populist opinion", she said. "We have to see the detail."
Tony Burke, Labor's citizenship spokesman, has also been critical of parts of the package.Credit: Andrew Meares
Labor MP Madeleine King, also from WA, said she did not like the requirement for permanent residents to wait four years for citizenship, and objected to the proposed values test.
"I certainly wouldn't be pushing for us to follow it," she told Fairfax Media. "My personal preference is I think it's a beat-up."
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has seized on divisions in Labor over his citizenship changes.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Tasmanian Labor senator Lisa Singh, who has written to Mr Dutton voicing her concerns, doubled-down on her criticism on Wednesday.
"I can't see how this is good for our nation," she said. "This undermines the values of tolerance, inclusion and a fair go for all [and] is causing unnecessary distress across Australian communities."
Left MPs are hopeful Labor is shifting away from Mr Shorten's initial openness to the reforms. Labor's citizenship spokesman Tony Burke, of the NSW Right and from a highly multicultural Sydney seat, was particularly critical of the stricter English test on the ABC's Lateline on Tuesday.
One left-wing MP, who declined to be named, said the English test and four-year delay were "outrageous" measures, while the values test was "a complicating factor" and potential dog-whistle.
"I'm anxious about it. We can't take social cohesion for granted," the MP said.
While internal discussions were not yet at crisis point, he noted: "This is a matter that the Left have been discussing quite a lot."
In Question Time on Tuesday, Mr Dutton said Labor was "completely divided" on the issue and called on Mr Shorten to declare a position.
"You would have thought the Labor Party could unite but they haven't," he said.
Labor pointed out the legislation has not yet been drafted – in part because the Turnbull government is consulting on the proposed changes. Submissions close on June 1.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has yet to decide if it will publish the submissions.
If Labor and the Greens block legislation in the Senate, the changes could still pass with crossbench support from One Nation and the Nick Xenophon Team.