Posted on 07/27/2017 8:02:20 PM PDT by naturalman1975
A STATE MP on a taxpayer-funded study tour overseas has been blocked from entering the USA, with a travelling colleague describing the situation as “outrageous and frightening”.
Western Metropolitan MP Khalil Eideh, who is understood to have obtained a valid visa for the US, was stopped at Vancouver airport in Canada while the rest of the parliamentary group were allowed to continue through immigration checks.
It is understood United Airlines told Mr Eideh he had been denied entry to the US, but gave no reason for the refusal.
Premier Daniel Andrews’s department has now contacted Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials regarding the issue, and State Parliament Speaker Colin Brooks has also made diplomatic contact with the US.
Mr Eideh is on a tour of Europe and North America with several colleagues who are looking at international drug laws, and have met with police and medical experts overseas.
Sex Party MP Fiona Patten told the Herald Sun the rest of the group had arrived in Denver in the US, but Mr Eideh had been forced to remain in Vancouver.
“He was issued a visa weeks ago, you would have thought if something changed the US government could have let us know,” she said.
“Something is seriously wrong with their system if they are blocking a member of parliament after they have been issued a visa.
“It was outrageous and frightening for everyone involved.”
Another colleague said Mr Eideh, who is the deputy president of the Legislative Council and has been a member of parliament since 2006, was upset.
State MPs said it was unclear why Mr Eideh, who was born in Lebanon, was not allowed to proceed.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldsun.com.au ...
Sounds good to me.
So...Australia has a ‘sex party’. Interesting.
“Sex Party MP Fiona Patten told the Herald Sun...”
She can enter.
Yes, the name attracts more votes than “Anti-Religion Party” which is what it really is - especially among the dumb young.
Their platform combines the most egregious ultraleft social positions imaginable. Mostly pro-death.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiona_Patten
He’s not on the TSA no fly list, so it isn’t that.
I thought Australian passport holders didn't need a Visa to visit the United States.
That’s what I thought too, i.e. 90 days or less, business travel
He was probably travelling on a Diplomatic Passport (Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will issue them to representatives of Australian state governments on official business on behalf of their states as this was). Holders of Diplomatic Passports travelling to the United States cannot use the Visa Waiver program - he would have needed an A-2 Visa in that case.
Have to do with his trip to Syria in 2007...?
We used to have the Party! Party! Party! Party.
I generally think it’s a strength of the Australian system that even minority parties can get some degree of representation - but some people don’t treat it seriously enough. I don’t agree with the Sex Party on much (they do have a few libertarian ideas I have some sympathy for) but they do at least take the process seriously and present real policies based on what I assume are sincere beliefs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.