The High Court has just ruled that American prolife activist Troy Newman is a ‘risk’ and must return home. So his 10-talk Australian tour is now up in smoke, and his many expenses flushed right down the drain. One early news write-up on this puts it this way:
Anti-abortion activist Troy Newman has lost his High Court bid to stay in Australia and could be deported as early as this weekend. Mr Newman flew into Melbourne from the United States on Thursday, despite having his visa revoked by the Immigration Department. His lawyers tried unsuccessfully to appeal that decision in the High Court in Melbourne this afternoon.
Justice Geoffrey Nettle ruled the Department was justified in revoking Mr Newman’s visa over fears the visit would pose a risk to the community. Justice Nettle ruled Mr Newman may have had a case to challenge the refusal, but said he should not have boarded a plane to Australia knowing his visa had been cancelled.
“Acting as he did means he does not come to this court with clean hands,” he said. Mr Newman is the head of anti-abortion organisation Operation Rescue and was due to speak in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart and Cairns over the next fortnight at events run by the group Right To Life Australia.
Um, say that again? Seeking to defend the lives of innocent babies is a risk? But slaughtering them wholesale and openly advocating the same is not? A person dedicated to protecting babies is the evil terrorist here, while those who are intent on killing them en masse for profit are the good guys?
There are many who are responsible for this sheer madness. Pro-abortion Labor MP Terri Butler is obviously guilty here. She is one of those who instigated this anti-Newman campaign, along with her baby-hating buddies. The mainstream media is fully culpable here as well, repeating one lie after another.
Indeed, I just heard one tool on the Ch. 9 news say Newman had told people to murder abortion doctors!! The sheer impunity with which these media stooges simply lie and lie again is utterly mind-boggling. Just make stuff up as you go along, with absolutely no accountability or fear of reprisal for spreading lies.
Of course one can speak about the guilty church – the silent church. How many churches were even aware of this particular episode, let alone the general war on the unborn? How many churches have never spoken out on the slaughter of the innocents? How many pastors have kept completely silent on this?
When we are more worried about building up big crowds and keeping the collection plates full of moolah, then we fully share in the blame here. Indeed, the craven and cowardly churches which never speak out on this are just as guilty as the abortionists who actually kill the babies.
All this is still quite new news, so we have very few other details to go by at this point. Another news article added a few bits of info:
Mr Newman’s wife, Melissa, was in court to hear the verdict with supporters, but would not talk to reporters after the verdict was handed down. She appeared upset as she entered a meeting room with supporters, and left through a back entrance to avoid talking to the waiting media outside.
Lawyers for Mr Dutton and Mr Newman agreed to reappear in court on October 30, when the question of whether Mr Dutton was legally entitled to cancel Mr Newman’s visa will be decided. In the meantime, with no valid visa, it’s expected Mr Newman will be deported.
Newman was due to speak at a prolife conference in Melbourne tonight, so that is obviously the first of many cancelled or radically changed events he was meant to take part in. So thousands of people will be inconvenienced by all this, even though Newman was never found guilty of any act of violence whatsoever. Despite all the lie-mongers.
This is a tragic day for democracy. This is a tragic day for freedom of speech. This is a tragic day for rational debate. We now simply have the one party state calling the shots, with a fully subservient MSM doing the bidding of radical minority groups, such as the pro-aborts.
Not everyone is happy with all this. Writing before this High Court decision, commentator Andrew Bolt said this:
Offence takers are killing free speech. They are also making Christianity a crime. We’ve got a visiting anti-abortionist banned and in detention… We’ve also got an Archbishop facing court for opposing same-sex marriage….
If calling abortion murder is enough to get you banned from Australia, and opposing same sex marriage gets you dragged before the courts, how much longer before the Pope is banned or jailed here, too?
What kind of police state is the Left building here, and why is the Turnbull Government going along with it?
UPDATE
Many news sites are repeating Terri Butler’s misleading claim that Troy Newman “wants abortionists to be executed”, as if he is inciting murder and vigilante justice. In fact, Newman has publicly and repeatedly opposed violence, and his offending comments come from a book he wrote 15 years ago, calling for abortionists to be treated as murderers under the US justice system:
“In addition to our personal guilt in abortion, the United States government has abrogated its responsibility to properly deal with the blood-guilty. This responsibility rightly involves executing convicted murderers, including abortionists, for their crimes in order to expunge bloodguilt from the land and people. Instead, the act of abortion has been elevated to a ‘God-given right’ and the abortionists canonized as saints.”
Many people will not like his position, but it is ludicrous to say we should not let him express it here. The only people in mortal danger in the debate Newman seeks are, after all, the unborn children he’s trying to save. I don’t agree with capital punishment of abortionists at all. I don’t even agree with criminalising abortion, although I confess it troubles me. I am not a Christian.
But I do sense the real danger here: of authoritarians criminalising the speech that challenges them, and denying the right of the rest of us to decide for ourselves whom to hear and what to think.
Here we have a non-Christian at least aware of the war on freedom of speech and the ongoing attacks of anti-Christian bigotry. So where are all the Christians standing up for religious freedom and freedom of speech? It is a very sad day when it seems like the only ones willing to defend folks like Newman are non-Christians.
The churches stand condemned here. The Australian government stands condemned here. The Australian media stands condemned here. The Turnbull treachery stands condemned here. This is one of the saddest days in recent Australian history. And it will only pave the way for more horrific Big Brother PC decisions.
Those few Christians who believe in the sanctity of life, the importance of biblical morality, and the importance of freedom, are now in very big trouble. It will of necessity get much worse before it gets any better – if it does get better at all.
33 Replies to “Australia’s Appalling Treatment of Political Prisoner Newman”
So sad, so wrong, another wrong decision.
Bill I have no doubt you are well aware of how hard it is to get pulpit time on the issue of abortion. I too would be interested in the pulpit time this has received. Has anyone’s local brought this across?
Bill, I join you in my utter outrage at the original decision and the purposeful misrepresentation that led to it, not to mention the naïve foolishness of the department in not checking the actual facts.
But Newman now has to take some responsibility for this mess. He got on a plane knowing that he didn’t have a valid visa. He could have had grounds to appeal the decision from overseas, but instead he compromised his own case by his actions. I’m frustrated by that.
“Acting as he did means he does not come to this court with clean hands,” he said.
But does that have any bearing in the Immigration Act regarding the merits of the appeal?
If “clean hands” is a valid criterion, then the use of fabricated evidence and outrageous lies SHOULD also constitute a problem for the respondents case.
But the scare-mongers and abortion supporters will have won because the re-hearing is set down for a month away, while the speaking tour this week is derailed, and can’t be undone.
I would be arguing for an urgent re-hearing, and claiming recompense from the Minister, and from all parties involved in propagating the falsehoods, for expenses jeopardised by a revocation order made on the basis of false evidence.
So what will the Terri Butler’s, Penny Wong’s, Peter Dutton’s, and others in our society, going to say to God when they meet Him? Especially when in their hearts they have rejected Him, and as a result are now blinded toward what is plain for them to see (Romans 1): that killing unborn babies is morally wrong. By berating, conspiring and forcing the silencing of a man who wants to bring an end to the systematic butchering of these children, they have said these children have no value unless “we” give them value. This is sheer idolatry: man thinking himself the final arbiter.
Hopefully he can attend the conferences via Skype or something to that effect. What a gutless immigration minister we have.
Yet again more madness where the right thing to do is persecuted, but the morally wrong thing to do flourishes.
I have been a coalition supporter all my life but there are times when I feel like hanging my head in shame. This occasion is one of them and the refusal to allow the Dutch politician Girt Wilders into our country was another.
If a child is put to death the day after birth, that is murder and rightly so. Yet apparently to some it’s perfectly OK to murder that child before birth.
Thanks Bill for bringing yet an other case of bad decision making to our notice.
Turnbull wasted no time showing his true colours. He was pretty quick to do Terror Butcher’s bidding, not because he is a man of action, but because travelling downhill easy.
This is not clueless politics, this is vandalism.
And now we are also going to see a palling up with the Islamic community by M. Turnbull as seems from the evening news, because Muslims feel so alienated by Tony Abbott’s call to join “Team Australia”.
With the behaviour of the immigration minister and the prime minister the alternative to two leftist parties is clearly the Christian Democratic Party and the shortly to be launched Australian Liberty Alliance. Hopefully they can run on a closely connected ticket in next years election. ALA has already seen a significant increase of members since the Turnbull coup.
Seeing the fate of Troy Newman, Geert Wilders will probably also be refused a visa as too dangerous a man for the launching of the ALA on 20 October. Or better still, issue a visa, but revoke it when he is on his way to Australia. Then he can be arrested at Melbourne Airport for illegal entry.
Shame in Australia. I am ashamed to be called an Australian. I rebuke every single person who has acted in opposition to Troy Newman and I give each one over to Jesus Christ to do His Will according to His Word.
I command all their finance to dry up and I turn all the curses that have been sent to destroy the helpless babies, back to all them, in Jesus Name.
Sad, perhaps predictable the way the world wants to silence those who seek mercy and justice for those who are unborn. Perhaps a cover up for what happens to the aborted babies with blinded authorities. The church needs to preach the gospel to see both hearts and minds turned to Christ. Christians and the Church cannot neglect that great commission while standing strong on this issue. That would seem to me Bill, the necessary call. For it seems clear to me for the few vocal Christians at least in the West, that for this issue things cannot get better – only worse and must expect to be persecuted for their stand. Jesus told us!
A sad day indeed. This judgement will go into history as one of the most horrendous violation against freedom of speech.
This of course is the handy work of a few activist that vehemently wish to suppress the truth of Troy’s message.
How is it possible that a person with a squeaky clean record can be deported on the grounds of hearsay and the spreading of vicious lies. Sadly I have lost a large slice of pride that I have always proclaimed on being a proud Australian. Honestly I am inclined to hide my shame for a good length of time.
Bill Heggers Bridgetown W.A.
…and in light of all of this the youth of the pro-life movement are trying to pull together their annual ‘Defend Life Dinner’ always held on the eve of the March for the Babies, this year Oct 9th.
Two fabulous ways to ‘man’ up to the enemies of life by attending these two very important pro-life events.
and to join the March for the Babies be in the Treasury Gardens at 1:00 pm Saturday Oct 10.
Australia has blood on it’s hands and eventually God will judge us as a nation for that.
In the interests of legal accuracy: The question before Justice Nettle in the High Court was not whether the cancellation was valid (that’s to be heard next month), but the preliminary question of whether Newman should be allowed to stay in Australia pending that decision.
To let Newman stay while the validity of his visa cancellation was being determined would require the grant of an injunction, which is a discretionary equitable remedy. A factor that weighs against the courts discretion to grant of such an injunction is that the applicant has “come to the court with unclean hands” – i.e. that the applicant finds himself in need of the court’s indulgence as a result of his own wrongdoing. In this case, Newman admitted that he *knowingly* got on a plane to Melbourne *after* he’d been told his visa had been cancelled. It was that deliberate flouting of Australian immigration law that caused the court to deny him a discretionary injunction to allow him to stay in Australia pending the determination of his challenge to his visa cancellation
The issue to be decided next month, whether the visa cancellation was valid, is far less clear cut. There is a good argument that the constitutionally implied freedom of political communication prevents the Minister from cancelling a visa on the grounds of a visitor’s political opinion. If all Newman has done is consider whether the law should treat abortion providers as murderers, and thus potentially subject them to the death penalty, then that seems to me to clearly be a political opinion and thus there’s a good argument that a cancellation on these grounds is invalid. On the other hand, if the cancellation was on the basis of prior criminal convictions, or some evidence of incitement to violence, then the cancellation was pretty clearly valid. That case will be an interesting one to watch.
I must say that, while I find Newman’s views abhorrent, I haven’t seen evidence that he’s engaged in incitement to violence. The evidence I’ve seen is that all he intended to do in Australia was present his (in my view abhorent) political opinions. On the basis of that evidence, I must say I think the visa cancellation was a over-reaction.
I was told by one church Elder’s wife that we should not be involved in this matter as we are to ‘keep our eye on things above” – that only the gospel will change lives so don’t be involved. I was flabbergasted.
Which God are they worshipping? Surely it is not the Lord God of the Bible. “They honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.”
God have mercy. We threw out the Law and look what has happened.
Mr Newman is doubtless extremely glad he himself was put up for adoption as an infant rather than “terminated in-utero”, if online biographical data on him is anything to go by.
It is indeed tragic that some regard pre-natal even peri-natal infanticide as a “divine right” of post-Christian secular democratic societies. The price we pay for believing humans are merely “highly evolved cousins” of other primate mammalian species includes such self-destructive practices amongst our unhappy race.
God help Australia…Jer.2 v11,12
I have been able to sign a petition to the minister, Peter Dutton, deploring his stance. Hopefully more will also do so as well and encourage others to get on board. One can’t help wondering “what next” will this government do to silence our standards as Christians?
Interesting in that he probably entered the country on what is known as an ETA, not his previously cancelled visa, because an ETA is open to anyone from a low-risk country that passes Australia’s character test (i.e. they do not have criminal convictions).
The cancellation was clearly a miscarriage of justice and not to mention a monumental stuff-up from the Immigration Department.
Hopefully such cases will serve as tool to educate people on the true intentions of the pro-death side and motivate pro-lifers to not be afraid to fight for their cause.
How can we understand the motives of Peter Dutton? Many thanks Bill for your comment that answers my question. What else will be done to silence Christians? I too have signed the petition to Peter Dutton. Also, the Mr Brown who was allowed to enter Australia (he was charged and convicted over a domestic violence issue). There is such a blind-sighted approach to serious social issues by our ‘left’ leaning pollies!!!
Those arguing Mr Newman should not have boarded the flight to Australia are missing the fact that at that time he had no personal notification as to the cancellation of his visa, the Australian speaking tour events were already determined and delay would have meant the tour could not have gone ahead, and as one involved with the organisation who invited him, I can report that there was only a very small window of opportunity where his itinerary was free for him to travel to Australia in any case.
Ewan McDonald, Victoria.
I would very much like to have Mr Newman come to Australia and believe he should be given a visa. But I have one question Bill. Did he know that his visa had been cancelled before he boarded the plane to Melbourne?
Thanks Graham. He received the Australian visa months ago. While mid-flight in the US he discovered in Denver that it had been pulled. He took a different flight to LA, boarded his normal LA flight with no probs and no questions asked, so they assumed they were good to go. In Melbourne they were detained.
Is it possible that politicians in Australia have accepted bribes from planned parenthood? The tactics used in this seem very sinister.
Benjamin O’Donnell, you might like to say what it is that you found abhorrent about Troy Newman’s political views (he has gone home). I presume it was that he is alleged to have linked the abortionist and murder? You would know that legally, even partial birth abortion is not murder. If the law wasn’t so inflexible this would arguably be murder, would it not. Ought you not embrace this issue from a legal rather than an emotional perspective.? Currently you are expressing your abhorrence and that, in my view, makes no rational contribution. I make my comments with respect.
Hi Bill another good article/post. Abortion has been a hot topic in Oz this week – not sure if you saw Q and A this week. Barnaby Joyce was grilled in climate change, leadership challenge, abortion and same sex marriage policy. He was ridiculed and taunted, nevertheless in my opinion he handled himself in an exemplary way, and under cross examination on the abortion when they circled for his stance on this subject, he gave some great answers and stood his his decision to not go with MSM.
Can someone correct my logic if it is incorrect as follows? On being elected to Leadership of the Liberal Party Malcolm Turnbull publicly declared he would be more collaborative than Tony Abbott. Then did Turnbull confer with Peter Dutton about the government’s precipitous decision to rescind Troy Newman’s visa? If so both Turnbull and Dutton ought both be brought before the court on 30 October to give evidence as to the procedure(s) they and any others followed prior to Dutton’s rescission. If their actions are found to have been unlawful or illegal they ought both stand down as Members of Parliament.
Dear Bill,
One good thing came out of Mr Newman’s unfair treatment. The abortion issue got mentioned which has broken the blanket of silence which has surrounded it for years. It might make some people sit up and think for the first time how evil abortion really is. The coverage showing the pro life marches in the US should have left people in no doubt just how opposed to abortion many Americans are. Thank God that He always manages to draw good from evil
I am disgusted at the treatment meted out to Mr. Newman. I am not ashamed to be Australian, but am deeply ashamed of the Government we now have in place. I never thought I would live to see the day that a Liberal Government would behave as it has in this last few weeks. I am certain that this would not have occurred under a Tony Abbott led Government and have been watching events with dismay since M. Turnbull won leadership. I firmly believe we are living close to the end of the age – good being called evil, and evil, good, wars and rumours of wars, the rise of Islam, and a lack of belief, or even, respect for the beliefs of Christianity whilst delving into Tarot cards, Fortune Tellers etc. We are certainly living in times when Christians are being persecuted and we need to firm up our own faith and proclaim the Gospel to as many as we are able.
The abortion industry reminds me of those who sacrificed their children to Molech!
Sorry to ramble on so, but I am rather old now, and am frustrated that I am able to do so little – I would love to march for the babies, but distance and disability rule that out.
God bless you Bill as you present us with salt and light.
Joan
Dutton’s email address is on his public website. Use it. Tell him how outrageous it was to cancel Troy’s visa in the first place. Then, tell him he needs to apologize publicly on October 30th at the second hearing to determine whether or not this reprehensible move was legal in the first place. I have made perhaps four or five international calls in my entire life, but I actually called Minister Dutton’s office the other day and spoke with an assistant and conveyed my outrage about this situation.
In other words, don’t just speak out here. Contact Minister Dutton and tell him what you think. He needs to hear from you. If you don’t speak out, he’ll think he can get away with this nonsense.
Parliament has dealt a death blow today, NO MORE FREE SPEACH unless you are perverted, anti Christian, or condone the murder of innocent children for their spare parts.
What a mess we are getting into.
Without the LEADERSHIP of Mr Abbott this country will slide even further into the mire.
I know this post was in 2015, but I just had to put my bit in.
Mr Newman flew into Melbourne from the United States on Thursday, despite having his visa revoked by the Immigration Department. His visa was revoked, be in all that was unfair, and wrong, it was cancelled, so of course that is breaking the law.
They will allow any animal from a country that threatens to kill all who will not submit but someone who wants to save lives is banned. Yep that sure sounds like parliamentary common sense eh. I am so disappointed in Peter Dutton. This next elections it will be the first time I will not be voting Liberal, as I feel that they have gone totally left, and Turnbull is more left than Shorten. I will never vote a left wing government.
Um, say that again? Seeking to defend the lives of innocent babies is a risk? But slaughtering them wholesale and openly advocating the same is not? A person dedicated to protecting babies is the evil terrorist here, while those who are intent on killing them en masse for profit are the good guys?
So sad, so wrong, another wrong decision.
Bill I have no doubt you are well aware of how hard it is to get pulpit time on the issue of abortion. I too would be interested in the pulpit time this has received. Has anyone’s local brought this across?
Bill, I join you in my utter outrage at the original decision and the purposeful misrepresentation that led to it, not to mention the naïve foolishness of the department in not checking the actual facts.
But Newman now has to take some responsibility for this mess. He got on a plane knowing that he didn’t have a valid visa. He could have had grounds to appeal the decision from overseas, but instead he compromised his own case by his actions. I’m frustrated by that.
“Acting as he did means he does not come to this court with clean hands,” he said.
But does that have any bearing in the Immigration Act regarding the merits of the appeal?
If “clean hands” is a valid criterion, then the use of fabricated evidence and outrageous lies SHOULD also constitute a problem for the respondents case.
But the scare-mongers and abortion supporters will have won because the re-hearing is set down for a month away, while the speaking tour this week is derailed, and can’t be undone.
I would be arguing for an urgent re-hearing, and claiming recompense from the Minister, and from all parties involved in propagating the falsehoods, for expenses jeopardised by a revocation order made on the basis of false evidence.
So what will the Terri Butler’s, Penny Wong’s, Peter Dutton’s, and others in our society, going to say to God when they meet Him? Especially when in their hearts they have rejected Him, and as a result are now blinded toward what is plain for them to see (Romans 1): that killing unborn babies is morally wrong. By berating, conspiring and forcing the silencing of a man who wants to bring an end to the systematic butchering of these children, they have said these children have no value unless “we” give them value. This is sheer idolatry: man thinking himself the final arbiter.
Hopefully he can attend the conferences via Skype or something to that effect. What a gutless immigration minister we have.
Yet again more madness where the right thing to do is persecuted, but the morally wrong thing to do flourishes.
I have been a coalition supporter all my life but there are times when I feel like hanging my head in shame. This occasion is one of them and the refusal to allow the Dutch politician Girt Wilders into our country was another.
If a child is put to death the day after birth, that is murder and rightly so. Yet apparently to some it’s perfectly OK to murder that child before birth.
Thanks Bill for bringing yet an other case of bad decision making to our notice.
Turnbull wasted no time showing his true colours. He was pretty quick to do Terror Butcher’s bidding, not because he is a man of action, but because travelling downhill easy.
This is not clueless politics, this is vandalism.
And now we are also going to see a palling up with the Islamic community by M. Turnbull as seems from the evening news, because Muslims feel so alienated by Tony Abbott’s call to join “Team Australia”.
With the behaviour of the immigration minister and the prime minister the alternative to two leftist parties is clearly the Christian Democratic Party and the shortly to be launched Australian Liberty Alliance. Hopefully they can run on a closely connected ticket in next years election. ALA has already seen a significant increase of members since the Turnbull coup.
Seeing the fate of Troy Newman, Geert Wilders will probably also be refused a visa as too dangerous a man for the launching of the ALA on 20 October. Or better still, issue a visa, but revoke it when he is on his way to Australia. Then he can be arrested at Melbourne Airport for illegal entry.
Shame in Australia. I am ashamed to be called an Australian. I rebuke every single person who has acted in opposition to Troy Newman and I give each one over to Jesus Christ to do His Will according to His Word.
I command all their finance to dry up and I turn all the curses that have been sent to destroy the helpless babies, back to all them, in Jesus Name.
Sad, perhaps predictable the way the world wants to silence those who seek mercy and justice for those who are unborn. Perhaps a cover up for what happens to the aborted babies with blinded authorities. The church needs to preach the gospel to see both hearts and minds turned to Christ. Christians and the Church cannot neglect that great commission while standing strong on this issue. That would seem to me Bill, the necessary call. For it seems clear to me for the few vocal Christians at least in the West, that for this issue things cannot get better – only worse and must expect to be persecuted for their stand. Jesus told us!
A sad day indeed. This judgement will go into history as one of the most horrendous violation against freedom of speech.
This of course is the handy work of a few activist that vehemently wish to suppress the truth of Troy’s message.
How is it possible that a person with a squeaky clean record can be deported on the grounds of hearsay and the spreading of vicious lies. Sadly I have lost a large slice of pride that I have always proclaimed on being a proud Australian. Honestly I am inclined to hide my shame for a good length of time.
Bill Heggers Bridgetown W.A.
…and in light of all of this the youth of the pro-life movement are trying to pull together their annual ‘Defend Life Dinner’ always held on the eve of the March for the Babies, this year Oct 9th.
Two fabulous ways to ‘man’ up to the enemies of life by attending these two very important pro-life events.
Bookings for the dinner can be made here
http://www.trybooking.com/ITFT
and to join the March for the Babies be in the Treasury Gardens at 1:00 pm Saturday Oct 10.
Australia has blood on it’s hands and eventually God will judge us as a nation for that.
In the interests of legal accuracy: The question before Justice Nettle in the High Court was not whether the cancellation was valid (that’s to be heard next month), but the preliminary question of whether Newman should be allowed to stay in Australia pending that decision.
To let Newman stay while the validity of his visa cancellation was being determined would require the grant of an injunction, which is a discretionary equitable remedy. A factor that weighs against the courts discretion to grant of such an injunction is that the applicant has “come to the court with unclean hands” – i.e. that the applicant finds himself in need of the court’s indulgence as a result of his own wrongdoing. In this case, Newman admitted that he *knowingly* got on a plane to Melbourne *after* he’d been told his visa had been cancelled. It was that deliberate flouting of Australian immigration law that caused the court to deny him a discretionary injunction to allow him to stay in Australia pending the determination of his challenge to his visa cancellation
The issue to be decided next month, whether the visa cancellation was valid, is far less clear cut. There is a good argument that the constitutionally implied freedom of political communication prevents the Minister from cancelling a visa on the grounds of a visitor’s political opinion. If all Newman has done is consider whether the law should treat abortion providers as murderers, and thus potentially subject them to the death penalty, then that seems to me to clearly be a political opinion and thus there’s a good argument that a cancellation on these grounds is invalid. On the other hand, if the cancellation was on the basis of prior criminal convictions, or some evidence of incitement to violence, then the cancellation was pretty clearly valid. That case will be an interesting one to watch.
I must say that, while I find Newman’s views abhorrent, I haven’t seen evidence that he’s engaged in incitement to violence. The evidence I’ve seen is that all he intended to do in Australia was present his (in my view abhorent) political opinions. On the basis of that evidence, I must say I think the visa cancellation was a over-reaction.
I was told by one church Elder’s wife that we should not be involved in this matter as we are to ‘keep our eye on things above” – that only the gospel will change lives so don’t be involved. I was flabbergasted.
Which God are they worshipping? Surely it is not the Lord God of the Bible. “They honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.”
God have mercy. We threw out the Law and look what has happened.
Mr Newman is doubtless extremely glad he himself was put up for adoption as an infant rather than “terminated in-utero”, if online biographical data on him is anything to go by.
It is indeed tragic that some regard pre-natal even peri-natal infanticide as a “divine right” of post-Christian secular democratic societies. The price we pay for believing humans are merely “highly evolved cousins” of other primate mammalian species includes such self-destructive practices amongst our unhappy race.
God help Australia…Jer.2 v11,12
I have been able to sign a petition to the minister, Peter Dutton, deploring his stance. Hopefully more will also do so as well and encourage others to get on board. One can’t help wondering “what next” will this government do to silence our standards as Christians?
Interesting in that he probably entered the country on what is known as an ETA, not his previously cancelled visa, because an ETA is open to anyone from a low-risk country that passes Australia’s character test (i.e. they do not have criminal convictions).
The cancellation was clearly a miscarriage of justice and not to mention a monumental stuff-up from the Immigration Department.
Hopefully such cases will serve as tool to educate people on the true intentions of the pro-death side and motivate pro-lifers to not be afraid to fight for their cause.
How can we understand the motives of Peter Dutton? Many thanks Bill for your comment that answers my question. What else will be done to silence Christians? I too have signed the petition to Peter Dutton. Also, the Mr Brown who was allowed to enter Australia (he was charged and convicted over a domestic violence issue). There is such a blind-sighted approach to serious social issues by our ‘left’ leaning pollies!!!
Those arguing Mr Newman should not have boarded the flight to Australia are missing the fact that at that time he had no personal notification as to the cancellation of his visa, the Australian speaking tour events were already determined and delay would have meant the tour could not have gone ahead, and as one involved with the organisation who invited him, I can report that there was only a very small window of opportunity where his itinerary was free for him to travel to Australia in any case.
Ewan McDonald, Victoria.
I would very much like to have Mr Newman come to Australia and believe he should be given a visa. But I have one question Bill. Did he know that his visa had been cancelled before he boarded the plane to Melbourne?
Thanks Graham. He received the Australian visa months ago. While mid-flight in the US he discovered in Denver that it had been pulled. He took a different flight to LA, boarded his normal LA flight with no probs and no questions asked, so they assumed they were good to go. In Melbourne they were detained.
Is it possible that politicians in Australia have accepted bribes from planned parenthood? The tactics used in this seem very sinister.
Benjamin O’Donnell, you might like to say what it is that you found abhorrent about Troy Newman’s political views (he has gone home). I presume it was that he is alleged to have linked the abortionist and murder? You would know that legally, even partial birth abortion is not murder. If the law wasn’t so inflexible this would arguably be murder, would it not. Ought you not embrace this issue from a legal rather than an emotional perspective.? Currently you are expressing your abhorrence and that, in my view, makes no rational contribution. I make my comments with respect.
Hi Bill another good article/post. Abortion has been a hot topic in Oz this week – not sure if you saw Q and A this week. Barnaby Joyce was grilled in climate change, leadership challenge, abortion and same sex marriage policy. He was ridiculed and taunted, nevertheless in my opinion he handled himself in an exemplary way, and under cross examination on the abortion when they circled for his stance on this subject, he gave some great answers and stood his his decision to not go with MSM.
Can someone correct my logic if it is incorrect as follows? On being elected to Leadership of the Liberal Party Malcolm Turnbull publicly declared he would be more collaborative than Tony Abbott. Then did Turnbull confer with Peter Dutton about the government’s precipitous decision to rescind Troy Newman’s visa? If so both Turnbull and Dutton ought both be brought before the court on 30 October to give evidence as to the procedure(s) they and any others followed prior to Dutton’s rescission. If their actions are found to have been unlawful or illegal they ought both stand down as Members of Parliament.
Dear Bill,
One good thing came out of Mr Newman’s unfair treatment. The abortion issue got mentioned which has broken the blanket of silence which has surrounded it for years. It might make some people sit up and think for the first time how evil abortion really is. The coverage showing the pro life marches in the US should have left people in no doubt just how opposed to abortion many Americans are. Thank God that He always manages to draw good from evil
I am disgusted at the treatment meted out to Mr. Newman. I am not ashamed to be Australian, but am deeply ashamed of the Government we now have in place. I never thought I would live to see the day that a Liberal Government would behave as it has in this last few weeks. I am certain that this would not have occurred under a Tony Abbott led Government and have been watching events with dismay since M. Turnbull won leadership. I firmly believe we are living close to the end of the age – good being called evil, and evil, good, wars and rumours of wars, the rise of Islam, and a lack of belief, or even, respect for the beliefs of Christianity whilst delving into Tarot cards, Fortune Tellers etc. We are certainly living in times when Christians are being persecuted and we need to firm up our own faith and proclaim the Gospel to as many as we are able.
The abortion industry reminds me of those who sacrificed their children to Molech!
Sorry to ramble on so, but I am rather old now, and am frustrated that I am able to do so little – I would love to march for the babies, but distance and disability rule that out.
God bless you Bill as you present us with salt and light.
Joan
Dutton’s email address is on his public website. Use it. Tell him how outrageous it was to cancel Troy’s visa in the first place. Then, tell him he needs to apologize publicly on October 30th at the second hearing to determine whether or not this reprehensible move was legal in the first place. I have made perhaps four or five international calls in my entire life, but I actually called Minister Dutton’s office the other day and spoke with an assistant and conveyed my outrage about this situation.
In other words, don’t just speak out here. Contact Minister Dutton and tell him what you think. He needs to hear from you. If you don’t speak out, he’ll think he can get away with this nonsense.
Parliament has dealt a death blow today, NO MORE FREE SPEACH unless you are perverted, anti Christian, or condone the murder of innocent children for their spare parts.
What a mess we are getting into.
Without the LEADERSHIP of Mr Abbott this country will slide even further into the mire.
I know this post was in 2015, but I just had to put my bit in.
Mr Newman flew into Melbourne from the United States on Thursday, despite having his visa revoked by the Immigration Department. His visa was revoked, be in all that was unfair, and wrong, it was cancelled, so of course that is breaking the law.
They will allow any animal from a country that threatens to kill all who will not submit but someone who wants to save lives is banned. Yep that sure sounds like parliamentary common sense eh. I am so disappointed in Peter Dutton. This next elections it will be the first time I will not be voting Liberal, as I feel that they have gone totally left, and Turnbull is more left than Shorten. I will never vote a left wing government.