TRANSCRIPT
Politicians from both sides of the aisle are condemning the anti-immigration protests that took place throughout Australia over the weekend.
The Greens say both Labor and the Coalition are guilty of scapegoating migrants and international students to shift blame for bad housing policy.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi says the protests should serve as a wake-up call to politicians she says downplay and fuel racism in Australia.
"On the weekend, Neo-Nazis and far right extremists spoke and led marches across our cities publicising their hate and racism. Thousands of people join them in the streets to call for an end to immigration and for the expulsion of, let's face it, people of colour from Australia, this rampage on the weekend should be a wake-up call."
Among those in attendance at the rallies were One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson and independent M-P Bob Katter.
Many in attendance worked to distance themselves from the notable neo-Nazi presence, stating they were not against migrants but rather against mass migration.
Federal Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly says people do have legitimate concerns around the strains immigration could be placing on housing and infrastructure.
However, she told ABC Radio that the protests were clearly only against migrants from certain backgrounds.
"These marches were a con by the far right neo-Nazis to prey on some legitimate concerns around housing and around cost of living in order to propagate their anti-immigration, racist agenda. The people, when they were saying they were protesting against immigration, let's be very clear. Let's not be coy about this, they weren't protesting immigration from white Western countries. They were very clearly protesting immigration from countries that have brown people."
Far-right senator Pauline Hanson spoke to hundreds at a rally outside Parliament House in Canberra, calling for reduced migration, as well as decrying what she calls a "woke agenda" in schools.
Prominent neo-Nazis also gave speeches in Melbourne and Sydney, where police estimate some 15,000 were in attendance.
Victoria Police say six people were arrested and face charges of assaulting police, behaving in a riotous manner, attempted robbery, assault and resisting police.
Speaking to Sky News, Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie says she shares concerns about high immigration but thinks the behaviour displayed was un-Australian.
"I don't know they want to bring division it doesn't help them at all. They can get off the damn streets, that'll be a good start, but anybody else that's got that flag out there and is making an arse of themselves - let's put it that way, because you are and you are, you know, pushing people, you are asking for it, you're out there, then put your flag down because quite frankly it's really un-Australian and we don't want to see that."
With speakers in Sydney spouting theories about a global agenda to replace people with European and Anglo-Celtic heritage, rhetoric at the events crossed clear lines into racist conspiracies.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley condemned the racism but says many of those in attendance were there in good faith.
"This past weekend, rallies occurred across Australia attended by people of goodwill but hijacked by violent neo-Nazis spouting hate and racism that can never be accepted. Extremism has no place in Australia, we must never import the bitterness of overseas conflicts into our communities. What unites us as Australians will always be stronger than those who seek to divide us. That unity is at risk, the Coalition stands ready to work with the government to repair our social cohesion. This is a moment that demands leadership, the prime minister must show that leadership now."
While the coalition sought to defend those it says were attending in good faith, critics, including Cabinet minister Murray Watt, say it was well known that these rallies were being organised and promoted by neo-Nazi groups.
In the Senate, Ms Faruqi moved a motion to condemn the rallies, as well as any politicians who were in attendance.
"For the past two years, Labor and the Coalition have been smearing and vilifying pro-Palestine activists. They have been doing that while literal Nazis are marching on the streets of this country. I do hope that that is a wake-up call for all of you to change course and do something about far-right extremism, which you have been ignoring. And then of course, there are the merchants of hate right here in this chamber: the likes of One Nation, who have nothing to offer but their racism and white supremacy to just cause division and hate."
She says the government cannot claim to be fighting antisemitism while allowing neo-Nazi groups to expand their networks.
"So the government has been fixated on cracking down for the last few years on protesters who are marching for justice for Palestine, and that's who they have been blaming and wrongly blaming for the rise of antisemitism in this country for years, far right extremism has been ignored. I mean, this country still hasn't even reckoned with the fact that the person who murdered 51 Muslims in a mosque in Christchurch was a far right Australian man."
When asked by Bob Katter about the effect of migration on the economy and Labor's plan to deal with it, the Prime Minister had this to say.
"People in this country voted for a government that would understand that modern Australia was, as the minister has just reflected, a different country than it was under the White Australia policy some time ago. And they voted for a government that would understand that our diversity is a strength in modern Australia, and provides us, as well, with incredible economic opportunity, due to the diaspora here, and our connections with every country on the planet."
