CANBERRA: Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has joined outspoken politicians in slamming Fraser Anning after he linked the Christchurch terror attacks to Muslim immigration.
The Queenslander was rebuked by his colleagues on Wednesday for blaming Muslim migrants for the horrific attack in which a white supremacist killed 50 worshippers at mosques in New Zealand last month.
Hanson-Young called Anning ‘a disgrace’ during a censure at the Senate on Wednesday.
‘People lost their lives and you think its a joke. What an absolute disgrace. He has no right to have the privilege to stand in this place and spout that hatred, that racism.
‘To be an apologist to terrorism and murder. We know where this leads because we’ve seen it. We saw it on the 15th of March in New Zealand because we’ve heard the names of the 50 people who died.
‘I am not even going to call him Senator Anning because he doesn’t deserve it. He is not fit to represent the Australian people. He is not fit to call himself an Australian, he is not us,’ she said.
Hanson-Young was one of many politicians who voiced their disgust at Anning after his comments.
‘Senator Anning’s comments were ugly and divisive. They were dangerous and unacceptable from anyone, let alone a member of this place,’ government Senate leader Mathias Cormann told parliament.
Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong said while scores of injured people were being treated for gunshot wounds, Senator Anning fanned the flames of division.
He said while any form of violence could never be justified, the growing fear of the ‘increasing Muslim presence’ was behind the massacre.
‘The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program that allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place.’
In a follow-up statement, he said he opposed to any form of violence within our community and totally condemned the actions of the gunman.
‘What it highlights is the growing fear within our community, both in Australia and New Zealand, of the increasing Muslim presence,’ he said.
The comments were widely condemned by the Australian public.
