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Ministers snubbed on citizenship

Senior government sources have revealed cabinet ministers have not been shown the Solicitor General’s advice on the government’s plan to strip citizenship from dual nationals tipped as terrorists.

The advice had been seen by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Attorney-General George Brandis and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton – but remained unsighted by other cabinet ministers, Sky News reported.

Three senior government sources leaked the revelations on Wednesday.

• Government takes time on citizen laws
• Abbott plays down another leak
• Abbott’s citizenship plan ‘lazy, sneaky, dumb’

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Penny Wong told Sky News the decision was “chaotic” and “cavalier”.

“What are the heights of irresponsibility that this Prime Minister will go to not even providing his cabinet with legal advice about the legality the constituency of what he is proposing,” Ms Wong said.

Ms Wong says the PM is acting "irresponsibly".

Ms Wong says the PM is acting “irresponsibly”. Photo: AAP

“If the Prime Minister is hiding advice from his cabinet; well that’s just chaos.”

Mr Abbott was questioned by reporters in Canberra on Wednesday morning about the allegations, but refused to comment.

“The important thing is that we have a sound law which strips the citizenship from terrorist who are dual nationals,” he said.

“We are going to do the right thing by the people of Australia.

“We are going to keep our country safe and the best way to keep our country safe is to ensure people that have been fighting with terrorist armies don’t come back.”

The Federal Government was taking further advice on the new laws to strip terrorism suspects of their citizenship after legal and civil liberties concerns.

Mr Dutton was expected to bring in the bill this week, but it was now likely to be introduced next week.

Cabinet Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he understood the changes would not be as radical as previously suggested, but would ensure those who lost their citizenship still had access to the courts.

“You can’t stop people from applying to a court,” Mr Turnbull told Sky News on Tuesday.

“We’ve got to make sure we protect the national security of Australia … we also have to do so within the law of Australia.”

Former independent national security legislation monitor Bret Walker said on Monday it was “constitutionally unthinkable” to revoke a person’s citizenship without a court conviction, and that he “never dreamed it would be possible” when he advised the government on the issue.

with AAP

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