The leader of Australia’s main opposition party was told to “stop being racist” by another parliamentarian during a heated discussion on Thursday in which he said that Australia should not take in any refugees from Gaza.

Independent parliamentarian Zali Steggall made the remarks during a speech criticising centre-right Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton for his call this week to bar refugees from Gaza due to the risk they could be Hamas sympathisers.

Interrupted several times by shouts from the opposition benches, Steggall asked to be heard in silence before shouting “stop being racist” towards Dutton.

“These are families that you are seeking to paint that somehow they are all terrorists, that they should all be mistrusted and they are not worthy of humanitarian aid,” she said before pausing as Dutton interjected.

“We heard you in silence, you can hear me in silence, stop being racist,” she then said.

  • @steventhedevEnglish
    -3•27 days ago

    The polling data also shows they overwhelming don’t consider what Hamas did on October 7th to be atrocities. They have demonized Israel so much that they dont consider Israelis human. People like you just spread that same dehumanizing message outwards.

    Seriously. Stop and think for a few minutes about what you just wrote and flip the word Israel with Palestine.