A Government backbencher expressed concern in the joint Liberal National party room meeting this week that changes to citizenship laws need to be handled sensitively.
Liberal MP Russell Broadbent asked for leadership to be shown across Australian communities, from politics to the sporting fields, to ensure that ethnic groups are not marginalised in the process of changing citizenship laws.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Broadbent told SBS he wanted to make sure there is an appropriate appeal process and adequate judicial oversight of the new system.
"There's always a danger that laws can be used inappropriately," Mr Broadbent said, adding that politicians have a role to speak up to ensure the laws are correctly formulated.
The Federal Government plans to legislate on the new laws within the next few weeks to tackle what the Prime Minister labelled "the most serious national security challenge" that Australians will face.
The changes would see citizenship cancelled for dual nationals involved in terrorism.
Mr Broadbent said some in his Victorian electorate are already being marginalised.
"The little boy that looks different is being treated differently then they were a few months ago," he said.
Despite his raising his concerns within the party Mr Broadbent said he had not written to the Prime Minister and believes the laws need time to be fleshed out.
"Let's see how that works and what the government presents to the people of Australia as to what those safeguards are and to what the judicial review is," he said.
Philip Ruddock, who serves as Special Envoy on Citizenship, said Australia should be proud of its diversity with 25 per cent of those living in the country born overseas.
Mr Ruddock said he will consider any opinions offered to him, including the possibility of adding a new clause into the Australian Citizenship Pledge.
"We want to ensure that when people do take that pledge they understand what it means," Mr Ruddock told SBS.
The government has called for submissions on its proposal and will conduct a formal consultation process.
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