Senator Fraser Anning censured over Christchurch terror reaction as Pauline Hanson goes to hospital
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson missed the censure motion against Fraser Anning in the Senate today as she had undergone emergency surgery.
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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson missed the censure motion against Fraser Anning in the Senate today as she had undergone emergency surgery.
Senator Hanson posted to Facebook: “Over the weekend I felt extraordinarily unwell. At first, I thought it was a case of food poisoning so I just took it easy.
“I woke yesterday morning to continued pains in my stomach and decided to see a GP.
“I was told I needed further scans and blood tests and was taken immediately to the hospital.
“Surgeons determined I needed an emergency operation to remove my appendix.
“Compared to the pain I was in before the surgery, today’s pain is a lot less and I plan on being back on my feet tomorrow.”
Senator Hanson's absence from Parliament House during a censure motion against Senator Fraser Anning over his “appalling” comments after the Christchurch massacre had been the cause of some discussion in the halls of power.
Anning said the motion to censure him was an attack on free speech.
One Nation, while abstaining from the vote, also claimed it was an attack on free speech.
ANNING UNREPENTANT
Senators from across politics united to condemn Senator Anning’s remarks in a formal motion this morning, labelling them “dangerous”, “ugly” “inflammatory” and “appalling”.
The censure motion passed without opposition just before midday.
But the Queensland senator hit back, saying he “simply told the truth”.
He called the censure-motion a “left-inspired witch hunt” and “barely coherent”.
Senator Anning was heckled and called a “disgrace” as he spoke after more than an hour of speeches condemning his remarks.
He called the motion “a blatant attack on free speech” and “left-wing virtue signalling” while denying he ever blamed the 50 victims for the massacre.
The Senator claimed he had condemned the gunman in the “strongest possible terms” in the wake of the attack — but also doubled down on his comments that were dubbed “appalling” and “hate speech” throughout the morning.
Anning reiterated that an immigration program which allowed “Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand” was a “key enabler of community violence” and a “contributing factor” to the attack. That’s despite the fact the gunman was a right-wing extremist.
CENSURE ATTACKS ‘DIVISIVE’ ANNING
Senators from across politics united to censure Fraser Anning for his “appalling” comments about the Christchurch massacre.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann branded Senator Anning’s remarks “inflammatory”, “divisive”, “appalling” and “dangerous” this morning as Senators rose to collectively condemn it as hate speech.
Labor frontbencher Penny Wong dubbed the comments a “shameful and pathetic attempt by a bloke who has never been elected to get attention by exploiting diversity”.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale called for Australia and the parliament to do more to condemn hate speech and fascism.
Senator Anning sat in the chamber throughout the motion.
The Greens push to go even further and suspend Senator Anning from the Senate will not succeed as Labor and the Coalition won’t support it. Senate President Scott Ryan said it was an “unconstitutional” move this morning.
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“Senator Anning’s comments were ugly and divisive,” Senator Cormann said as the censure motion got underway.
“They were dangerous and unacceptable from anyone, let alone a member of this place. The Senate is completely right to condemn and censure the senator who made them.”
He added “an attack on any religion is an attack on all religions”.
He called on all Australians to “stand against hate and to publicly and always condemn actions and comments designed to incite fear and distrust”.
“The Australian people rightly expect this parliament stand in solidarity with our New Zealand cousins following the monstrous attack in Christchurch which is absolutely right to censure Senator Anning and anyone else within our community who seeks to use horrific tragedy like this one as an opportunity to vilify and divide people based on their religious belief,” Senator Cormann said.
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An emotional Senator Wong declared Senator Anning didn’t speak for the parliament or the nation.
“In the aftermath of the Christchurch terrorist attacks, in the aftermath of horrific acts of hatred, while people were grieving, while the nation was grieving, the senator in this place made extraordinarily offensive and divisive statements,” she told the Senate.
“He blamed the horrific act of terror, of murder, not on the extremist right wing terrorist, but on the victims of these evil acts.
“Families, friends, communities of those lost were still reeling from the shock, the senator blamed the victims. While those injured were being treated, this Senator sought to further fan the flames of division.
“How pathetic. How shameful. A shameful and pathetic attempt by a bloke who has never been elected to get attention by exploiting diversity as a fault line for political advantage.”
She added the censure motion made it clear the Senate “repudiates in the strongest terms” Senator Anning’s “divisive statement and extremist ideology”.
FIERY PREAMBLE
The censure comes after NZ deputy leader Winston Peters said: “I could call him a four-flushing, jingoistic moron, but you already know that in Australia
“He is a national, absolute, democratic aberration. We all know why he’s there. He’s there by pure accident,” he said on Sky News yesterday.
MORE: NZ Deputy PM attacks ‘moron’ Anning
Penny Wong unleashed on Nationals senator John ‘Wacka’ Williams before the censure motion after he made a remark about the Greens being extremists as well.
“They don’t engage in racist hate speech,” a fired-up Senator Wong said, as Williams shouted back across the chamber.
Senator Anning drew international rebuke for remarks he made immediately following the massacre.
“The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place,” Senator Anning wrote in a media release.
RISING BACKLASH
Senator Anning copped a cracked egg on the head from a young protester the following day.
Yesterday Senator Anning used Question Time to complain that his rights of free speech had been impeded and he had been subjected to political violence from the egg attack.
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, acting as government leader, rounded on him.
“The lack of compassion you have shown demonstrates, frankly, a basic lack of basic humanity,” said Senator Birmingham, who said the Queensland senator had failed “the test of character”.
I wonder if there will be as much outrage from the left wing when the next Muslim terrorist attack occurs?
— Senator Fraser Anning (@fraser_anning) March 15, 2019
Most likely silence and talk about “lone wolf attacks, mental illness and no connection to Islamâ€.
“Lives were lost, families were ruined, a community was devastated and, rather than rightly reflecting upon the terrible act that occurred and the loss of life that occurred, you instead acted in a way that was inflammatory, that was divisive and that, indeed, fuels, potentially, further acts of terror and violence.”
ANNING TURNS HIS BACK
Earlier, during a condolence motion condemning the Christchurch massacre and offering sorrow and support to New Zealand, Senator Anning left the chamber before others stood in silence to support the motion.
Senator Anning was not named during the condolence motion but some senators said the worst hatred seen in the aftermath of Christchurch came from one of their own.
Liberal and Labor Senate leaders Mathias Cormann and Penny Wong kept away from attacking Senator Anning during the condolence motion, but Greens senator Richard Di Natale could not hold back.
“We must all face up to the uncomfortable truths how racism and xenophobia have been exploited by the voices of hate, those who seek to divide us,” said Mr Di Natale.
“And there is no escaping it, Mr President, some of those voices reside here in this chamber.”
Labor senator Larissa Walters rose to speak “as a Queenslander, and I think that’s important given the extremely hurtful remarks that were made in the wake of this incident by some other representatives of my beautiful and warm-hearted state.”
Senator Anning left the chamber when Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young spoke in condolence.
“Some people in this place have sought to use what happened in New Zealand for their own political gain,” she said. “Nastiness, vulgar statements. And while today is not the day to take action on that, the day will come.”
Senator Pauline Hanson was not in the chamber, being reportedly ill, but her party colleague Peter Georgiou — another beneficiary of a colleague who fell foul of electoral law — kept it brief.
“I would like to state on the record as a One Nation senator in West Australia I condemn the terror, pain and violence inflicted on Christchurch last month, which caused the loss of 50 lives and hurt so many more,” he said.
“I offer my condolences to all the families affected and to the people of Christchurch.”
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