Domestic violence campaigners say Chris Brown should be banned
The US R&B singer Chris Brown could be barred from touring Australia because of his domestic violence record, the Australian government warned on Thursday. 
Brown was sentenced to five years probation in 2009 for brutally punching and strangling musician Rihanna, his girlfriend at the time.
Tickets for four shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth in   December are due to go on sale on Monday.
Activist group GetUp! wants Brown denied a visa to enter Australia, saying allowing him to perform would be sending the wrong message to women.
The Minister for Women Michaelia Cash said she agreed and had, in her former role as assistant immigration minister, previously blocked boxer Floyd   Mayweather entry to Australia because of his history of family violence.
The Migration Act states that anyone with a "substantial criminal record" involving a prison sentence of 12 months or more - including a suspended sentence - can be refused a visa.
Senator Cash suggested Immigration Minister Peter Dutton could take the same approach with Brown as she took with   Mayweather.
"I am clearly not going to pre-empt a decision by the minister, however, I can assure you what my strong recommendation would be," she said. "People need to understand that if you are going to commit domestic violent 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'."
Senator Cash said Mr Dutton would be looking at the visa issue "very, very seriously".
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declined to add to the minister's comments but said Senator Cash had "brilliantly expressed the thoughts of the government".
The Migration Act states that anyone with a "substantial criminal record" involving a prison sentence of 12 months or more - including a suspended sentence - can be refused a visa.
The pair were speaking at a major government announcement of $100 million funding to combat and prevent domestic violence.
Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, whose 11-year-old son Luke was killed by his father, Greg Batty, at a cricket training session in Victoria in 2014, also attended the launch along with former Victorian Police commissioner Ken Lay.
Greg Batty was the subject of an apprehended violence order or AVO when he killed his son.
The new spending includes $17 million for safe phones for women and GPS trackers for perpetrators.
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