The Senate has voted to reverse a decision by Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton that scrapped discounts on citizenship applications for migrant pensioners, veterans and widows.
The discounts were scrapped earlier in the month when Mr Dutton lodged a legislative instrument, revealed by SBS News, which would have taken effect on July 1.
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Citizenship discount for migrant pensioners, widows scrapped
But the concession rates will now be restored after Labor, Centre Alliance and independent senators Derry Hinch and Tim Storer supported a disallowance motion from the Greens, which passed the Senate late on Monday evening in a 31-30 vote.
“Not everyone has the financial wherewithal to pay full fee for citizenship applications,” Greens senator Nick McKim told SBS News.
“This is a great result for people who want to become citizens of our country… but are on concessions.”
“They now have an opportunity to make applications to become citizens in line with their financial circumstances.”
Most people pay a $285 fee when they apply for citizenship, but disadvantaged pensioners and widows have long been granted a concession rate of $20 or $40.
But the regulation has now been overturned and will not come into effect on July 1 as planned.
Turnbull government minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells told the Senate chamber the Greens had “overblown” the issue.
“This is, plain and simple, about citizenship application fees, and currently citizenship application fees do not cover the increasing cost of the program,” Ms Fierravanti-Wells said.
The minister said new technologies like biometric identity checks were increasing the cost of assessing citizenship applications.
Ms Fierravanti-Wells went on to cite data from the Home Affairs department that shows only 3 per cent of people who applied for citizenship via the entrance test paid a concession fee in the past 12 months.
Earlier in the month a spokesperson for the department told SBS News Australia’s citizenship application fees would “remain internationally competitive” and were “among the lowest in OECD nations”.
Labor senator Carol Brown said the “broader government agenda to attack migrants” and make it harder for people to become Australian citizens.
The change would have mostly affected migrants who hold a pensioner concession card and receive certain welfare payments, including Newstart, the aged pension, the disability support pension or parenting payments.
Australian Greens Senator Nick McKim during Question Time in the Senate chamber. Source: Getty
Veterans with pensioner cards who receive income support payments - including payments for aged service, invalidity service or partner service – would also have lost their discount, as will some widows who hold health care cards.
The changes would also have captured those applying for citizenship a second time, who would have been forced to pay the full fare with each application.
The reversal is the latest in a string of similar moves by the Greens, supported by a Senate majority, to overturn regulatory changes by the Coalition in the migration space.
Last month, SBS News revealed the government had backflipped on a change that would have effectively doubled the income requirement for people trying to bring their parents to Australia.
