Peter Dutton is not backing down from his call to impose a “temporary” ban on issuing visas to people escaping the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as MPs and leaders across the political divide condemn his comments.
Today, the Coalition put forward a motion in the House of Representatives to impose the ban, after Dutton’s comments on Sky News on Wednesday.
“I don’t think people should be coming in from that war zone at all at the moment,” the Opposition leader said to Sky News. “It’s not prudent to do so and I think it puts our national security at risk.”
Since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 last year, which killed about 1,200 Israeli civilians, the Israeli Defence Force has bombarded the Gaza strip for the last ten months, killing tens of thousands of men, women and children, and displacing hundreds of thousands more.
Speaking on Nine’s news program Today this morning, Dutton doubled down on his comments. He said putting “all the usual political tripe” to “one side”, the decision to ban visas to people from Gaza is in Australia’s “best interests”.
“I’m sure the vast majority (of Palestinian refugees) are just innocent people fleeing a war zone, but our country is just safer when we have a proper process,” Dutton said.
“If you bring in 100 people, let’s say 99 are good, if one person (who is a Hamas sympathiser) comes in, how is that in our country’s interests?”
The Albanese government has issued roughly 3,000 visitor visas to Palestinians escaping Gaza or the West Bank since Hamas’ October 7 attack, according to figures provided by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. Only about half of these people on granted visas have arrived in Australia. Meanwhile, the government has rejected about 7,000 visa applications from Gaza.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Albanese suggested the comments were “off the cuff” from Dutton, someone who is “always looking for a fight, always looking for division.”
Zali Steggall: ‘Stop being racist’
In an emotional address to the House of Representatives this morning, Independent member for Warringah Zali Steggall told Peter Dutton to “stop being racist”.
Ultimately, Steggall withdrew her comment, as Dutton said it was an “unparliamentary” remark.
The House was debating the Coalition’s motion to impose the temporary visa ban, and as Steggall engaged in the debate, she said her contributions were not met with respect by the Opposition.
The visa process for Palestinians that Dutton is urging the government to temporarily put on hold is the same visa process that existed under the Morrison Coalition government, and the same one that helped a man named Mohammad from Gaza come to Australia in 2020 to participate in a surf lifesaving skills program.
Steggall met Mohammad at the North Steyne Surf Club, who was learning the skills to take back and teach to children and families in Gaza. She was retelling his story in the House of Representatives today in her response to the Coalition’s motion.
“These are normal families,” Steggall said. “These are families that you are seeking to paint that somehow they are all terrorists, that they should all be mistrusted and… that they are not worthy of humanitarian aid.”
Her address was interrupted with noise and interjections, largely from the Opposition.
“We heard you in silence,” Steggall said to Dutton, “you can hear me in silence.”
“Stop being racist.”
Dutton objected to the remark and Steggall was asked to withdraw the comment, which she did “to assist the House”.
“And I would ask that the same respect be shown to me to make my contribution in the chamber that you were afforded,” Steggall continued.
“Something that does not seem to be a common occurrence when it comes to the opposition.”
Sarah Hanson-Young: ‘Say something about the children’
Elsewhere in Parliament House this morning, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young delivered a drive-by dig at Nationals leader David Littleproud, who was speaking to the media at the time.
Littleproud was addressing reporters in support of Dutton’s motion in the House of Representatives and his own comments to the media, when Hanson-Young – without stopping – made a comment.
“Why don’t you say something about the children that are being slaughtered?” she said.
Littleproud said nothing in reply, and continued speaking with reporters.