Debate in the Senate over a motion condemning yesterday’s anti-immigration rallies in Australia’s capital cities turned ugly this afternoon, as the Greens, Labor and the Coalition took swings at each other.
The motion, moved by Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, condemned “the racist, white supremacist, and anti-immigrant rallies held over the weekend and … the support of and attendance at the rallies by MPs”.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
During the introduction of her motion, Faruqi described One Nation senators as “merchants of hate … who have nothing to offer but their racism and white supremacy”.
An amendment from the Coalition focused on the commitment to “free speech and lawful assembly”, and went further than others to condemn rallies by “pro-Iranian government extremists and those supporting terrorist organisations” – a barb directed at recent pro-Palestinian marches that featured Iranian, Hamas and Hezbollah iconography.
During the debate, Greens senator David Shoebridge accused the Coalition of wanting “to be in a position to platform neo-Nazis” to divide Australians on race.
Loading
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie shouted back: “Who supported Australian Jews in your team? No one.”
Shoebridge compared quotes by an unnamed neo-Nazi, and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke; the first of which was, “We need to send them back – no debate, no discussion.”
Burke’s quote, which Shoebridge read out, was: “Anyone who doesn’t have a valid visa should leave the country.” Burke’s quote was from last week and referred to Australia’s $400 million deal with Nauru that will allow the federal government to deport foreign-born criminals to the Pacific Island nation.
Shoebridge’s comparison of quotes tipped Finance Minister Katy Gallagher over the edge, prompting her to yell at the Greens senator: “You are an absolute disgrace.”
Later in the debate, McKenzie accused Faruqi of double standards by not condemning pro-Palestine protesters on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, after they displayed a poster of Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei holding a machinegun.
McKenzie called out: “Where’s your motion for that?”