Teal MP Zali Steggall has told Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to “stop being racist” during a fiery exchange in the House of Representatives this morning.
Dutton had moved for a suspension of standing orders so he could again address the issue of visas being granted to Palestinians fleeing Gaza and claims from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that the government was carrying out the same security checks as the Coalition government had done for Syrian refugees. Dutton disputes these claims.
Zali Steggall, top right, tells Peter Dutton to “stop being racist” in parliament on Thursday.Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald
Steggall rose to her feet to argue against the motion, saying it was “extremely concerning” to see the opposition attempt to suspend standing orders, “whipping up a sense of fear and an inference that, for example, our services and systems are not working”.
“These are normal families, these are families you are seeking to paint that somehow they are all terrorists that they should all be mistrusted … that they are not worthy of humanitarian aid,” she told Dutton, referring to people fleeing Gaza.
The opposition leader began interjecting, prompting Steggall to yell at him to “stop being racist”.
Dutton rose immediately and called on her to withdraw the “offensive and unparliamentary remark”.
Steggall asked Speaker of the House Milton Dick for a clarification, asking if “a description of language being racist [was] an unparliamentary remark”.
Dick ruled Steggall should withdraw, which she complied with to continue her speech.
The House ultimately voted against Dutton’s motion.
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