Senator slammed
Parties unite in condemning Anning’s anti-Muslim speech
THE views expressed by Senator Fraser Anning during his controversial address to federal parliament have no place in “modern Australia”, says Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
The Gladstone MP was widely-criticised for his first upper house speech linking Muslim communities to terrorism and high welfare rates.
The Katter’s Australian Party senator also used the term “final solution” when calling for a national plebiscite on immigration – a phrase commonly associated with Nazi Germany’s extermination of millions of Jews during World War II.
“I do not think he speaks for Queensland,” Ms Palaszczuk said yesterday. “We have a proud, multicultural Queensland ... (the comments) have no place in our modern Australia, nor do they have any place in Queensland.”
LNP opposition leader Deb Frecklington labelled Senator Anning’s speech “hateful” and a “disgrace”.
Queensland federal Labor MP Graham Perrett said Senator Anning should see for himself how Muslims are contributing across the state.
Mr Perrett also poured scorn on Mr Anning’s claim his use of the term “final solution” had been misinterpreted and was not a reference to the mass killing of Jews.
“I know how long it took for me to write my first speech. This guy’s been in the parliament for seven months or so, so he’s had a lot of time to work on every single word,” Mr Perrett said.
Mr Anning’s address drew bipartisan criticism in parliament including from One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson, Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Senator Hanson disowned Mr Anning – who was elected to the Senate on her One Nation ticket – saying his speech was “straight from the Goebbels’ handbook from Nazi Germany”.
Senator Anning’s party leader Bob Katter said he backed his colleague “one thousand per cent”.
“I support everything he said ... it was a magnificent speech,” he said.
Mr Anning has refused to apologise and says his speech has been misinterpreted.