‘Put electronic bracelets on them’: Jacqui Lambie loses it over refugees drawing links to Paris attacks

SHE said she wanted to have a serious conversation, but in true Jacqui Lambie style, discussion around the Senator’s latest cause has quickly become ridiculous.

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

SHE said she wanted to have a serious conversation, but in true Jacqui Lambie style, discussion around the independent Senator’s latest cause has quickly become ridiculous.

Calling for more vigorous vetting of Syrian refugees and seriously suggesting greater scrutiny be applied in the processing of Australia’s intake of 12,000 from the war-torn region, the Tasmanian politician also managed to propose a one-question quiz that would stop terrorism coming to Australia. Oh, and suggested the Grand Mufti be fitted with an electronic tag, sex offender-style.

Senator Lambie drew links between accepting refugees and the risk of terror attacks, speaking in the wake of the discovery of a stolen passport near the body of a suicide attacker in Paris. She said Australia’s refugee intake process was letting down its citizens.

“The refugee vetting process has not only failed in France, but also the other Western cultures, including Australia ... and it must be fixed so our citizens’ safety comes first,” she told ABC radio.

She said the process had clearly failed and “that’s why we’re having attacks going on everywhere”.

“We should never discriminate on the basis of religion, but we do have the right and duty do discriminate on the basis of whether prospective citizens will respect and uphold our democracy and culture by our constitutional and Australian laws,” she said.

“Therefore a key test of whether people are worthy of our compassion and are suitable for Australian citizenship will be their opposition to Sharia or terrorist law.”

Rejecting the suggestion a person who held extreme views could simply deny them, the outspoken Senator said it was an important question that needed to be asked, and criticised the government for a lack of consideration for security.

“No one’s talked putting security, electronic bracelets on them, nobody’s gone that far, I think it’s about time we put our foot down here,” she said.

Joining critics of Australia’s highest ranked Muslim cleric for his failure to condemn the Paris attacks, Senator Lambie suggested Grand Mufti Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed be electronically tagged too.

“You have the Grand Mufti out there the other day hasn’t directly condemned the attacks, I mean he’s not helping the situation either,” she said.

“So maybe the first person that should have an electronic device put on them is the bloody Grand Mufti.”

Senator Lambie said she wanted to start a conversation around Australia’s intake of refugees from Syria following the Paris attacks.

“It’s time to have a serious conversation about this,” a post on her Facebook page read. The statement accompanied a bright graphic posing the question: “Do you think Australia should still take 12,000 refugees from Syria? Vote yes or no.”

In less than 24 hours the post has garnered more than 10,000 comments, some including alternative solutions for the refugee crisis including rich Arab nations welcoming Syrians and providing food to Syrians via air-drops so they don’t have to flee.

Senator Lambie made her own stance clear saying Australia should not take refugees, instead advocating military action calling for “troops on the ground” and creating “safe zones” in Syria.

“All we’re doing is feeding into ISIS hands because we’re not over there stopping the refugees from fleeing in the first place and making sure they can keep their homes safe.

That’s where we need to be targeting,” she said.

Originally published as ‘Put electronic bracelets on them’: Jacqui Lambie loses it over refugees drawing links to Paris attacks