Tuesday, 27 August 2024

Refugees and asylum seekers

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (13:46): Today I want to draw the house’s attention to the extraordinary matters surrounding the ASIO director-general Mike Burgess’s comments on Insiders just a week or two ago and the failure of the federal government to clarify what has been said. It is clear that a large number of Gazans have been given access to Australia and that the checking and the vetting has not been up to scratch. It is also the case that this puts into Australia a concerning group of people whose background has not been adequately vetted. I notice the comments of Colin Rubinstein of the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council. He said:

It seems obvious that any support for a listed, proscribed terrorist organisation in this country – including rhetorical – should be strong grounds for failing the character test essential for Australian citizenship or residency.

He went on to say:

Australia’s policy of multiculturalism, whatever rights it certainly confers, requires an overriding responsibility and commitment to uphold certain shared … democratic values.

He said:

It’s hard to think of a more egregious violation of those shared values than supporting a group which is actually unlawful in this country because of its undoubted record and commitment to violence and extremism.

We need – (Time expired)