A Victorian union boss has alleged that prior to the untimely passing of Kimberley Kitching, the senator—known internationally as a hawk on China issues—was facing isolation and bullying from her own party colleagues. Union boss Earl Setches said that Kitching was facing increased isolation by the party, given her more conservative leanings on many issues. “She…

Tributes have poured in from human rights advocates and across the political spectrum for Australian Senator Kimberley Kitching. Kitching, one of the most vocal critics of Beijing’s human rights record in the Australian Labor Party (ALP), passed away from a suspected heart attack on March 10, aged 52. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Victorian…

Like their U.S. counterparts, Australian senators from both sides of the aisle have jointly rejected Amnesty International’s recent report accusing Israel of engaging in “apartheid.” “Our report reveals the true extent of Israel’s apartheid regime. Whether they live in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the rest of the West Bank, or Israel itself, Palestinians are treated…

Human rights violators, corrupt officials, and cyber hackers will be banned from visiting Australia and spending their ill-gotten gains in the country after the Australian Parliament passed a Magnitsky-style law. Titled the Autonomous Sanctions Amendment (Thematic Sanctions) Bill 2021,  the legislation passed the lower house of the Australian parliament on Thursday. The Bill is partly…

Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews and five other of the country’s MPs have signed an open letter opposing the election of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). The letter, which is cosigned by 50 legislators from around the world—comes as the countries involved in Interpol are gathering…

Newly introduced Magnitsky laws that give the federal government the power to sanction overseas human rights violators will be powerful, effective, and quick, according to a diplomacy expert. Joseph Siracusa, adjunct professor at Curtin University who teaches the history of international diplomacy, says Australia’s new laws have “teeth” and will be a deterrent against future…

In a one-two punch, Australian members of Parliament from both sides of the aisle have thrown their support behind Magnitsky-style laws that will give the federal government the power to impose sanctions on overseas human rights offenders. On Aug. 3, Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching introduced the International Human Rights and Corruption (Magnitsky Sanctions) Bill 2021,…