http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/dutch-far-right-politician-geert-wilders-granted-a-visa-for-australia/ar-AAffJul?li=AA4RE4&OCID=HPCDHP
Far-right Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, will be allowed to speak in Australia for the second time in his controversial career, after being granted a visa.
Wilders is due to visit Australia this month for the launch of an anti-Islamic political party, the Australian Liberty Alliance, that was modelled on his own outfit, Party for Freedom.
The ALA's president, Debbie Robinson, told Guardian Australia on Thursday afternoon that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection had been dragging its feet in giving Wilders clearance.
But later that night, the anti-Islamic party issued a statement saying Wilders' visa had been issued.
"Everyone rallied together to remind the LNP government that Australia is still a democratic country based on Western values," the statement said.
Robinson told the ABC on Monday that the party had been given assurances in August that Wilders's visa application would go through.
She told Guardian Australia on Thursday that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection had set a deadline of last Friday to make a decision on the visa, but that the date had passed with no word from either the department or the minister's office. "I believe that they're stonewalling the visa, deliberately going slow," Robinson said before the announcement.
Calls to the office of the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, were not returned.
The Liberal backbencher, Cory Bernardi, a friend of Wilders who backed the far-right politician's bid to visit Australia in 2012, was disappointed that his visa was not processed straight away.
"Geert Wilders is a democratically elected member of a sovereign ally of Australia and he has never advocated violence of any sort," Bernardi said.
He warned that denying Wilders a visa "would reflect extremely badly on the [political] discourse of this country."
Bernardi argued that Wilders should be allowed to tour, reflecting Australia's strong commitment to freedom of speech. "I expected more from a Liberal government, quite frankly," he said.
Wilders ran into trouble when he tried to visit Australia in 2012. The then Labor government stalled on issuing his visa, which in turn forced the organisers of his speaking tour to cancel and reschedule the events. He was later granted access to the country and undertook the speaking tour in early 2013.
Far-right Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, will be allowed to speak in Australia for the second time in his controversial career, after being granted a visa.
Wilders is due to visit Australia this month for the launch of an anti-Islamic political party, the Australian Liberty Alliance, that was modelled on his own outfit, Party for Freedom.
The ALA's president, Debbie Robinson, told Guardian Australia on Thursday afternoon that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection had been dragging its feet in giving Wilders clearance.
But later that night, the anti-Islamic party issued a statement saying Wilders' visa had been issued.
"Everyone rallied together to remind the LNP government that Australia is still a democratic country based on Western values," the statement said.
Robinson told the ABC on Monday that the party had been given assurances in August that Wilders's visa application would go through.
She told Guardian Australia on Thursday that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection had set a deadline of last Friday to make a decision on the visa, but that the date had passed with no word from either the department or the minister's office. "I believe that they're stonewalling the visa, deliberately going slow," Robinson said before the announcement.
Calls to the office of the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, were not returned.
The Liberal backbencher, Cory Bernardi, a friend of Wilders who backed the far-right politician's bid to visit Australia in 2012, was disappointed that his visa was not processed straight away.
"Geert Wilders is a democratically elected member of a sovereign ally of Australia and he has never advocated violence of any sort," Bernardi said.
He warned that denying Wilders a visa "would reflect extremely badly on the [political] discourse of this country."
Bernardi argued that Wilders should be allowed to tour, reflecting Australia's strong commitment to freedom of speech. "I expected more from a Liberal government, quite frankly," he said.
Wilders ran into trouble when he tried to visit Australia in 2012. The then Labor government stalled on issuing his visa, which in turn forced the organisers of his speaking tour to cancel and reschedule the events. He was later granted access to the country and undertook the speaking tour in early 2013.