MEDIA STATEMENT
13 April 2026
I am absolutely appalled by reports in ABC News on 9 April that a foreign national convicted of sexually abusing a nine-year-old child has had his visa reinstated and is now allowed to remain in Australia, despite the seriousness of his offending.
Let’s be clear. If you come to this country and commit a serious crime, especially against a child, you should be sent home. Full stop.
Yet under the Albanese Government, we are seeing the exact opposite.
Despite the seriousness of this offending, despite clear community expectations, and despite Ministerial Direction 110 supposedly putting community safety first, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal has permitted this individual to stay based on so-called “strong ties” and “ill health”. Ministerial Direction 110 is a construct of this Labor Government and it must bare the consequences of its weak policies.
The Tribunal’s decision, based on Ministerial Direction 110 defies common sense and it completely undermines confidence in our migration system.
However, this is not an isolated failure.
For more than two years, authorities were warned that accused New Zealand child sex offender Ronald Thompson had travelled to Australia and was living on the Sunshine Coast after avoiding trial overseas on medical grounds.
Despite those warnings, no visible action was taken until the matter was exposed publicly through a national investigation on A Current Affair and raised by me in the Federal Parliament.
That raises serious and deeply troubling questions. Why does it take media and parliamentary pressure before the Government acts?
Why are communities like ours left in the dark while individuals accused or convicted of serious offences are allowed to remain?
The Minister for Home Affairs has clear powers under Section 501 of the Migration Act to deport foreign nationals on character grounds where a non-citizen poses a risk to the Australian community.
These powers exist for a reason. To protect Australians.
Yet time and time again, we are seeing hesitation, delay, and decisions that put offender’s “rights” ahead of victims and the broader community. Australians are rightly asking: whose side is this Government on?
Community safety must always come first. Not second. Not weighed against convenience.
I am calling on the Home Affairs Minister to urgently intervene, review this latest tribunal decision, and ensure that this offender is removed from Australia.
At the same time, I renew my call for the immediate deportation of Ronald Thompson from Australia.
No community in Australia should ever become a refuge for individuals seeking to avoid facing serious criminal allegations or from consequences overseas. Australians deserve a government that will enforce the law, protect families, and put community safety first.
Right now, Labor is failing that test.
[ENDS]
Media Contact: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
