PINK CHOICE SAYS SHAME ON SNOOPING DOWN UNDER?

PINK CHOICE was very disturbed to read that under policy options being considered by the Australian government, visitors with HIV could have their movements monitored or be prevented from entering Australia altogether.

Late last week it was revealed that Prime Minister John Howard has sought his immigration and health ministers' advice concerning the public health risk posed by HIV/AIDS, as well as querying the public health implications of letting HIV-positive people into the country.

The move follows comments Howard made during a radio interview last month, where the prime minister said he would consider stopping HIV-positive people from coming to the country unless there were humanitarian reasons to let them.

A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews confirmed the Department of Immigration and Citizenship was preparing advice for the prime minister.

"The department is looking at what requirements we have under different visa classes (for HIV testing) and whether these need to be expanded," the spokesperson said.

Currently, people wanting to become permanent residents of Australia are tested for HIV, with some foreigners entering Australia on student or business visas exempt from testing.

If an individual hoping to enter Australia tests positive for HIV, his immigration application is automatically reviewed by health authorities to assess whether he represents a significant cost to the health system and whether he is financially able to support himself in Australia.

The final decision is made at the discretion of the Immigration Minister.

Howard has also asked authorities investigating HIV policy whether different government agencies should be notified of the movements of HIV-positive immigrants, according to a report in Melbourne's Age newspaper.

According to the paper, a source said the review was not considering a broad ban of all HIV-positive people, but better screening and monitoring and ways of monitoring or blocking those that set off "warning bells."

A spokesperson for the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, Don Baxter, told the Age that infections arising from short-term visa holders have had "minuscule impact" and a HIV screening policy would adversely affect the tourist industry.

Baxter also raised concerns that compulsory screening would result in people having a false sense of security, conveying that "people with HIV will be kept out, therefore it's OK to have unsafe sex with people from other countries." (Cath Pope, Gay.com Australia)