Sack Anning, Katter urged
Outrage over senator’s speech
TASMANIAN senators have united in fury and determination to condemn unrepentant Queensland senator Fraser Anning for his speech praising the White Australia policy and attacking Muslim immigration.
But despite the strong criticism from across politics, the Katter’s Australian Party MP has the “1000 per cent” support of his leader.
Senator Anning is also refusing to apologise for calling for a “final solution” on immigration, a comment that has angered Jewish groups and MPs.
Liberal Senator Eric Abetz, Labor Senator Lisa Singh and Nationals Senator Steve Martin wasted no time yesterday to show distaste for Senator Anning’s words while Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson called on Bob Katter to expel Senator Anning from his party.
Senator Abetz told LA FM’s Brian Carlton that he had refused to applaud or to shake Senator Anning’s hand after the “unfortunate” comments in the speech.
The Katter Party Senator called for an end to Muslim immigration and referred to a “final solution” on immigration — a term offensive to Jews.
“I think that which was said is not in line with the vast majority of what Australians believe and think, and I, for one, while I listened politely, I did not clap at his speech and I did not congratulate him afterwards. I walked out of the chambers,” Senator Abetz said.
Senator Singh spoke in a motion, saying that Senator Anning did not speak for Australians.
‘Unfortunately there is someone in this place giving li- cence to hate speech and we must call it out,” she said.
Senator Martin said: “Perhaps the Senator could better spend his efforts in encouraging hardworking migrants to move to the regions, where they will be able to make a great contribution to a great nation.”
Senator Whish-Wilson said Mr Katter should expel Senator Anning if he wanted to send the strongest possible message that racism and divisiveness would not be tolerated in this national parliament.
Mr Katter said he genuinely believed Mr Anning had no idea of the historical context of the term “final solution”.
“He had absolutely no idea,” he said.
Around 1942, the Nazi leadership established a plan called The Final Solution to the Jewish Question, which led to the genocide of more than six million Jews in occupied Europe.