Sydney - In an embarrassing rebuke, Australia's Immigration Minister has been asked by the human rights group Amnesty International to remove his membership badge during official duties, reports Christopher Zinn. Amnesty said many of Mr Philip Ruddock's policies, including the mandatory detention of illegal immigrants, contravened their policies and he could face expulsion.
On his official Australian tour last week the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, refused to rule out introducing a similar scheme to contain asylum-seekers.
Amnesty International wrote to Mr Ruddock last year protesting against the introduction of temporary visas for refugees and demanded he no longer wear his membership badge while announcing policies. Now after Mr Ruddock continued to wear the lapel badge the request has gone public with Amnesty claiming there is a serious conflict of interest between Mr Ruddock's ministerial role and his Amnesty membership.