Australian senate rejects proposed visa, citizenship curbs

[SYDNEY] Australia's lawmakers have rejected legislation that would tighten citizenship and foreign worker visa rules, a blow to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull who had sought to stop a loss of his support base to far-right political parties.

In April, Mr Turnbull said Australia would abolish a temporary work visa popular with foreigners and replace it with a new programme requiring better English-language and job skills.

Mr Turnbull also announced plans to raise the bar for citizenship by lengthening the waiting period and adding a new "Australian values" test.

But Australia's senate, where Mr Turnbull's centre-right government does not enjoy a majority, rejected the proposal in a late vote on Wednesday, with opposition lawmakers insisting the rules were counter to Australian multicultural values.

The senate rejection may further drag on support for Mr Turnbull, which, according to the widely watched Newspoll poll on Monday, languishes at its lowest level in more than two years.

The next election is not due until 2019, but continued poor polling could undermine Mr Turnbull's leadership.

Mathias Cormann, Australia's special minister of state, said on Wednesday the government will seek to move the legislation through the senate again as soon as they have secured the necessary support.

"We will keep working with all non-government senators to secure the necessary support," Mr Cormann told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

A spokeswoman for Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton said visa applications would now be considered under the previous rules.

REUTERS