It’s not racist to care about national security, despite what Zali Steggall claimed about Gaza

Making people fearful of being called racist so that they completely disengage is the worst possible outcome for any difficulty, let alone a crisis, writes Erin Molan.

As an election approaches we are going to hear more frequently what most of us know already – in our vibrant, precious democracy, the number one job of any elected official is to keep us safe.

There are regularly many different ways of doing this, and we won’t always agree on the best option but we must, at a bare minimum, be able to conduct a civilised discussion around policy choices. Heated debate is OK too, in fact healthy and robust wrangling often enables us to reach the best possible outcome.

However as we know equally well, the quickest way to shut down any kind of conversation, be it forceful or considered and elegant, be it in our kitchen or one of the chambers of our federal parliament, is to use the word ‘racist’.

It is the tried and tested tool of many who seek to weaponise an issue to advance their own agendas (which are often self-serving), rather than reach a solution that is in the best interest of all concerned, and indeed our nation. And this strategy – uttering the “racism” charge – works, when we let it work.

Many Gazans celebrated after the October 7 attacks on Israel. Picture: AFP

I understand this and I’ve been there.

There’s nothing more sickening or terrifying, as a decent human being, than being called racist.

The thought itself is deplorable, let alone experiencing the reality, but how often is it reeled out regarding any issue that involves anyone of a different race – regardless of what a factual and detailed analysis of the problem would reveal as the root cause?

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton was called a racist by Independent MP Zali Steggall. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Peter Dutton was called racist by Independent MP Zali Steggall in Parliament this week, and whilst she withdrew the comment officially, it will be repeated everywhere.

The intent of this – to shut down the discussion, to have people so fearful of being similarly labelled that they completely disengage, is the worst possible outcome for any difficulty, let alone a crisis.

It is especially disappointing for the millions of citizens in our country and around the world desperately keen to see a solution to this horrendously complex issue that has plagued the Middle East region of our troubled world.

The Opposition leader’s call to halt immigration from Gaza this week was not based on race … nor is it “racist”.

The Australian Human Rights Commission defines racism as including prejudice, discrimination or hatred directed at someone because of their colour, ethnicity or national origin.

Relatives of hostages taken by Hamas and held in Gaza by Hamas have demonstrated outside Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Is Peter Dutton’s reluctance to bring people in from Gaza right now based on the colour of their skin? Absolutely not.

Is it based on the need, informed by security evidence and recognised by many states around the world, to ensure the safety of our communities and broader population by screening all new arrivals?

Absolutely yes.

Dutton assures us that his decision is in response to his perceived inability of the government to fully check the security threat of each and every person wishing to cross our borders, a risk he has determined is unacceptably high at present.

To understand why robust vetting is required you only have to look at the latest Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) poll from June this year to see some alarming stats – including that 57% of those surveyed in Gaza believe Hamas’s decision to launch the October 7 attack was correct.

We are an incredibly proud and mostly successful multicultural nation … we are richer for the arrival of so many from so many different lands.

Whether you agree with Dutton’s blanket ban or not – to call it racist is naive or a pathetic tactic to grab a headline and avoid a legitimate discussion at best, highly offensive at worst, and in simple terms, just plain wrong.

In an ideal world we would and could save every child from the horrors of war. I don’t know an Australian whose heart isn’t broken by just the thought of so many innocent lives lost in the Middle East right now … let alone the reality … but it’s the job of those we elect to passionately and vigorously discharge their responsibility to us as members of Parliament … even when it might not be what they’d like to do – or we would like to hear.