Australia opposition calls on government to ban anti-vaccination advocate from entering country

Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-22 12:22:30|Editor: Xiang Bo
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CANBERRA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Australia's opposition political party has called on the government to ban the world's leading anti-vaccination advocate from visiting the country.

Kent Heckenlively, who describes himself as the "world's number one anti-vaxxer", is due to tour Australia in December where he will use a series of lectures to call for a five-year moratorium on childhood vaccinations.

But the Australian Labor Party (ALP) on Tuesday wrote to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton demanding that a travel ban be placed on Heckenlively.

Catherine King, an ALP health spokesperson, said the threat of Heckenlively's visit should be taken seriously and he should be banned from entering Australia under section 501 of the Migration Act, which allows the refusal or cancellation of a visa based on the holder's character.

"Labor is alarmed that Mr. Heckenlively may be allowed to promote this dangerous nonsense in Australia," King said in the letter to Dutton on Tuesday.

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