August 18th 2024.
During a heated debate in the House of Representatives last week, Independent MP Zali Steggall boldly stood up to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and told him to "stop being racist." Dutton had made a controversial statement suggesting that Palestinians fleeing from Gaza should be banned from entering Australia due to security concerns.
Steggall's comments caused quite a stir, with Dutton now seeking legal advice over her remarks. Steggall, however, stands by her words and even repeated them outside of parliament, according to Sky News. In an interview with ABC's RN Breakfast this morning, Steggall expressed that Dutton's legal threats are simply a part of his "playbook."
"I would view that as a tried and true method of Mr. Dutton's, to bully and intimidate people from speaking out against his policies and behavior," Steggall told ABC's RN Breakfast. "This is all designed to instill fear."
She believes it is important to draw attention to such behavior and Dutton's policies, which she believes are also designed to create fear. "We see policies that are inherently racist and aimed at fostering fear and hatred towards a minority group," Steggall explained. "And the fear of the consequences of speaking out means that the policy itself doesn't get examined and called out. That's just bullying and intimidation. So, no, I think it's really important for the sake of our social cohesion, for Australia as a nation, to call this out."
When asked whether he believed Dutton was a racist, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to give a direct answer but did describe him as "deeply divisive." Albanese expressed concern that Dutton's divisive actions pose a risk to the nation. "I was astounded last week when we welcomed home our Olympians, a moment of national unity, and Peter Dutton once again showed that there is no moment too big for him to show how small he is," Albanese said.
"It's always about politics for Peter Dutton," he continued. "And everything is about division." Albanese also pointed out that Dutton's lack of confidence in the security agencies responsible for national security is concerning.
In response to the fallout from Steggall's comments, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham accused her and the Prime Minister of "playing the man" instead of focusing on the issue of whether Australia should ban people fleeing Gaza. "What we're seeing from the Prime Minister and some of the others, like Zali Steggall, who all promised a kinder, gentler politics, is that they are quite happy to attack Peter Dutton personally instead of engaging in a policy debate," Birmingham stated. "They are happy to go for personal attacks against Peter Dutton rather than focusing on the real issue at hand."
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