The Prime Minister of Australia and the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand have taken contrary positions over proposed legislation which will bar “refugees” in New Zealand from automatically qualifying for entry to Australia—as is currently the case for all NZ residents. According to reports, New Zealand’s deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters—whose father was a Maori and his mother Scottish—said... 

New rules are to be introduced to make all MPs and senators in Australia register their citizenship status following the scandal that has forced six politicians to quit office – leaving the country’s government deadlocked. Current and future MPs and senators will have to lodge declarations and produce evidence that they are not foreign citizens before standing for official office under... 

The Australian Liberal-National coalition leader and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull claimed victory on the parliamentary elections held on July 2, media reported Sunday. The parliamentary elections are being held every three years in Australia. The voters regularly elect 150 legislators of the lower chamber and 38 out of 76 lawmakers of the upper chamber. After the upper chamber legislators dismissed... 

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has given into pressure on his traitorous government over the current refugee crisis, saying that his country is prepared to accept more Muslim refugees from crisis-hit Syria and Iraq. “We are proposing to take more people from this region as part of our very substantial commitment to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),” Abbott said... 

Australia has called on Indonesia to better manage its borders, in a harsh rebuke to Jakarta’s demand for answers to allegations that Canberra paid off the crew of a migrant smuggling boat to return the vessel to Indonesian shores. The stinging response on Monday by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop came after her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi expressed concern on Saturday that if... 

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says his country needs to reconsider its immigration laws in reaction to the deadly siege in Sydney last December. He made the remarks on Sunday in the city as he released the first report conducted by officials from the federal government and the government of New South Wales into the incident. “Plainly, the system has let us down,” he said, adding, “This... 

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has signaled a tightening of border controls in a bid to confront terror threats looming over the island country. “We are a free and fair nation. But that doesn’t mean we should let bad people play us for mugs, and all too often they have. Well, that’s going to stop,” Abbott said in a statement released on Sunday. Australia has long provided... 

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he is determined to challenge an upcoming leadership spill motion set for next week that could remove him from power. On Friday, the Australian leader asked Liberal lawmakers and senators in the parliament to vote against the motion to remove him and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop from office on February 10. According to Abbott the move was brought by two... 

China and Australia have sealed a major free trade agreement worth billions of dollars giving the Australian agricultural sector tariff free access to the massive Chinese market, while China will get greater access to investment projects in Australia. Ministers from China and Australia signed a Declaration of Intent on Monday, culminating over a decade of work towards the deal. The actual agreement... 

The Australian Senate has passed new national security laws that could put journalists behind bars for up to 10 years for merely reporting on terrorism-related subjects, Press TV reports. The bill proposed by the government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott was unanimously adopted by the Senate on Thursday and is to be sent to the House of Representatives for final approval. The legislation, dubbed the... 

The Australian government on Monday unveiled further sanctions against Russian oil and gas, financial and defense sectors, bringing Canberra in line with the European Union. Under the new sanctions there will be no new arms exports and no new exports for the oil and gas industry, Prime Minister Tony Abbott told the Australian parliament. In addition, Russian state-run banks are not allowed new access... 

Australia and Singapore agree to enhance intelligence sharing. Australia and Singapore have agreed to enhance intelligence sharing amid concerns about the threat posed by Takfiri militants returning home from Syria and Iraq. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen and visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Friday. “In this context of... 

The Australian Senate has voted to scrap the controversial two-year old carbon emission tax, signaling a major victory for Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Reaching the national carbon reduction goals remains in question. Carbon emission has been a long-running debate among politicians. The Liberals claim it penalizes business, while the Labor Party says it helps combat climate change. In the 2013 elections... 

Australia has called on Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom, warning that a breakaway would not be in the best interests of the international community. In an interview with the Times during a visit to London on Saturday, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said an independent Scotland would be cheered by those he described as enemies of “justice” and “freedom.” “But as a friend of... 

Australia says it is planning to impose tougher sanctions on Russia after Moscow announced food bans that will affect Australian food makers. “We are working towards stronger sanctions” against Russia, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday. Abbott also warned Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to pull back Russian troops from the country’s border with Ukraine. “I say...