Australia under pressure to ban entry to singer Chris Brown

By Matt Siegel
SYDNEY, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Australia was facing pressure on
Thursday to deny entry to American singer and hip-hop star Chris
Brown over his history of domestic abuse, as Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull pledged A$100 million ($70.05 million) to
combat violence against women.
Public pressure has been growing to block Brown, whose
California probation stemming from a 2009 plea to assaulting
singer Rihanna was revoked in February, from performing in four
Australian cities in December.
Australian Minister for Women Michaelia Cash, speaking
alongside Turnbull at an event in Canberra highlighting new
government efforts to fight domestic violence, urged Immigration
Minister Peter Dutton to bar the performer.
"People need to understand that if you are going to commit
domestic violence and then you want to travel around the world
there are going to be countries that say to you, 'You cannot
come in because you are not of the character we expect in
Australia'," Cash told reporters.
Dutton has not commented publicly on the issue.
Cash, who was assistant immigration minister until her
elevation to the frontbench this week, previously denied boxer
Floyd Mayweather entry to Australia over his history of domestic
violence.
It is not uncommon for performers with legal troubles to be
refused entry to foreign countries. Brown postponed a British
tour in 2010 after he was denied a visa and in February was
declined entry into Canada. ID:nL1NOVY3BR
Turnbull and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was
ousted in a leadership coup last week, have devoted greater
resources to battling domestic violence after a spate of
high-profile deaths.
At least 31 women were killed by their partners in the first
15 weeks of 2015, police figures show, sparking a public outcry
and calls for greater government resources focused on the issue.
The 11-year-old son of Australian of the Year Rosie Batty,
who attended the media event with Turnbull and Cash, was killed
by his father at a cricket training session in Victoria state in
2014.
Neighbouring New Zealand has already ruled Brown ineligible
for entry as a result of Britain refusing him admission, casting
doubt over the antipodean leg of his world tour.
($1=1.4276 Australian dollars)