The non-revocation decision
10 As noted above, on 5 December 2016, the appellant's visa was cancelled under s 501(3A) of the Act on the basis of the appellant's criminal record.
11 On 20 December 2016, the appellant requested revocation of the cancellation decision. Attached to that request was a submission made by the appellant which addressed the following matters:
(a) the appellant's children in Australia and the effect that visa cancellation would have on his family;
(b) the appellant's criminal record; and
(c) the impediments to the appellant's return to New Zealand.
12 On 25 October 2017, the Assistant Minister decided not to revoke the cancellation decision. The Assistant Minister signed a statement of reasons dated 25 October 2017 (Reasons). The Assistant Minister was satisfied that the appellant did not pass the character test by reason of his criminal record and that finding is not contested. The Assistant Minister then considered whether there was another reason why the cancellation decision should be revoked (s 501CA(4)(b)(ii)). That consideration was addressed under the headings:
(a) best interests of minor children;
(b) strength, nature and duration of ties to Australia;
(c) extent of impediments if removed; and
(d) protecting the Australian community, which, in turn, was addressed under the sub-headings of the appellant's criminal conduct and risk to the Australian community.
13 In relation to the best interests of minor children, the Assistant Minister found that it would be in the best interests of the appellant's daughter (born in November 2001) if the visa cancellation decision were revoked. However, the Assistant Minister gave this matter "some less weight" because the appellant does not have daily care and responsibility of the daughter, she will be an adult in around two years' time and she will be able to maintain written communication with the appellant in the meantime.
14 In relation to the strength, nature and duration of ties to Australia, the Assistant Minister gave weight to a number of factors arising from the appellant's family and social ties to Australia, where he has lived since 1989. The Assistant Minister also accepted that the appellant had made a contribution to the Australian community through his employment.
15 In relation to the extent of impediments if removed, the Assistant Minister accepted that non-revocation of the decision would result in emotional and practical hardship for the appellant, including in the form of separation from his children, family and friends, and some likely difficulty in re-establishing himself in New Zealand. Nevertheless, the Assistant Minister concluded that the appellant has the ability and capacity to maintain a basic living standard in New Zealand.
16 With respect to protecting the Australian community, the Assistant Minister found that the appellant has a lengthy criminal history of offending in Australia and New Zealand involving violence, domestic violence and repeated driving offences, and that the appellant's criminal conduct was very serious. The appellant's criminal history in Australia involved a number of instances of violence, mainly domestic violence, including:
(a) The appellant was convicted in August 2003 of domestic violence offences committed against an ex-partner (including aggravated burglary with an offensive weapon) and sentenced to a total of two years' imprisonment for that and related offences. The Assistant Minister found that these were very serious offences, especially the threat to burn a house when the appellant's former partner and two children were inside.
(b) The appellant was convicted in August 2016 of domestic violence offences committed against his then partner (a different woman) and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. This offending was also very serious, given the persistence of the appellant's harassing and threatening of the victim and his life-threatening attack on her.
(c) The appellant's other criminal offending in Australia included sentences of 12 months and 18 months' imprisonment in 2012 and 2010 for driving offences, and other criminal offending in New Zealand before his arrival in Australia.
17 The Assistant Minister found that there was an ongoing risk of the appellant re-offending and that, if the appellant re-offended in a similar manner involving violence, that may result in conduct that could cause serious physical or psychological harm to members of the Australian community. If the appellant re-offended with his driving offences, that posed a risk of physical harm to members of the Australian community, in particular road users. The Assistant Minister's findings included the following:
(a) The Assistant Minister accepted that various factors referred to by the appellant (his dysfunctional upbringing, his advanced osteoarthritis diagnosed in 2013, his depression and his anxiety) were likely to have contributed significantly to his 2016 convictions. However, the Assistant Minister also noted that the appellant had a history of violence, including domestic violence, dating back as early as 1982.
(b) The Assistant Minister acknowledged the rehabilitation that the appellant had undertaken. However, the appellant had made claims of rehabilitation in 2003 and 2012 and had continued to offend.
(c) There was no specific evidence of the appellant undertaking any alcohol reform programs since 2013. Given the nexus between drinking and the appellant's offending, the Assistant Minister found that this increased the likelihood of the appellant re-offending. The appellant's abstinence from drugs and alcohol in prison had not been tested in the community.
(d) The Assistant Minister acknowledged that the appellant was remorseful but noted that he had expressed similar remorse in the past. The Assistant Minister noted letters of support from the appellant's family and friends, but noted that the appellant's family and other support did not prevent him from re-offending as recently as 2016.
(e) The appellant continued to offend, even after warnings from the Department in 2010 and 2013. The appellant had repeatedly breached family violence orders and other judicial orders.
(f) A psychological report from July 2016 stated that the appellant's prospects of rehabilitation appeared low and the likelihood of re-offending high at the time of assessment.
18 The Assistant Minister concluded that the appellant represented an unacceptable risk of harm to the Australian community and that the protection of the Australian community outweighed the best interests of his child as a primary consideration, and other considerations such as his lengthy residence in Australia and his ties to Australia.