Opposition Leader Peter Dutton responds to independent MP Zali Steggall’s ‘racist’ claim

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has responded to criticism of being called racist, brushing it off with an eight-word comment.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has hit back at claims of being racist by independent Sydney MP Zali Steggal, following a tense day in parliament dominated by discussions on Palestinian visa fleeing Gaza.

Furious and tense scenes unfolded in parliament on Thursday, as the Coalition was accused of stoking fear, division and heightening tension for its stance on the visas and questions around whether allowing Palestinian refugees into Australia would impact national security.

During a debate on the visa, Ms Steggal ripped into the Opposition Leader as she spoke abouta Palestinian man in her electorate, who came to Australia as a refugee under the “same systems” administered by the former Coalition government.

“We heard you in silence,” she told the Liberal leader, after multiple interjections from Mr Dutton.

“You can hear me in silence. Stop being racist!”

Zali Steggall accused the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of ‘being racist’. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Speaking to 10 News on Thursday night, Mr Dutton maintained the Coalition’s hard line stance against the visas.

“This is without precedent, there is no situation that I am aware of where a government has brought people in from a terrorist controlled territory into Australia on a tourist visas and it has put our national security at risk.,” he told 10 News.

“It’s a risk because potentially you’ve brought people in who are sympathisers with an organisation that just slaughtered 1200 people.”

Pressed on accusations of racism, and inflaming tensions, Mr Dutton brushed it off.

“But by whom? The Greens, and the Green teals,” he said.

Asked if his rhetoric could be “divisive and inflame tension on such a sensitive issue, he said: “No … this is a national security issue and deserves to be debated.”

‘TRIGGER’: LAMBIE’S FURIOUS SPRAY AT DUTTON

Earlier on Thursday, the Opposition Leader was also accused by Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie of stoking tensions after he flagged “national security concerns” over the processing of visas for Palestinians fleeing Gaza.

Since Wednesday, Mr Dutton and the opposition have been on the attack, questioning whether adequate security measures were taken, while the government maintains the processes have been the same as when the Coalition was in government.

“Peter Dutton, that is really bad leadership. All you’re doing is heightening the tempo here and you will trigger events here that we don’t want,” she said.

“I now believe the way he has handled this in the last few days has heightened the situation here in Australia. He’s been a part of that.”

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said the opposition’s calls to ban visas for people fleeing Gaza were ‘heightening’ tensions. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

She said while the Coalition went “too far”, the Labor Party potentially needed to do more.

“We don’t want to see terrorists here, and we don’t want to see sympathisers to those terrorists,” she said.

“The government needs to know that if they’re not vetting properly because they’re also under the pump, because if something does happen here, it’s going to be the Labor Party (that has to deal with it) who people already believe is soft on national security.

“So lift your game, lift your vetting, and make sure that people here are feeling secure.”

GENDER PAY GAP INCHES CLOSER

Women are closer than ever to pay parity with men, according to fresh jobs data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

ABS figures show the gender pay gap has closed half a percentage point, falling from 12 per cent in November 2023 to 11.5 per cent.

Minister for Women Katy Gallagher hailed the drop as a victory, calling it the “lowest gender pay gap on record”.

“Closing the gender pay gap means that women are taking home more money at the end of each week,” she said.

“This progress isn’t just good for women – it’s also good for men, good for children, good for the economy and good for the community.”

‘NO TIME’: URGENT CFMEU PLEA

The Albanese government has suffered a setback in getting its CFMEU Bill passed.

Despite not being able to seal a deal with the Coalition, the government put the clean-up Bill to the Senate at 3pm, where it lost.

The Bill was designed to force the embattled union to accept a government-appointed administrator to clean it up following damning reports of corruption, bribery and bullying in the construction arm.

“There’s really no time for delay. We do feel that we’re getting close to a deal with the Coalition on this,” newly appointed Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt told the ABC on Thursday.

“If the Coalition votes with us today, this Bill will pass, and that can be a critical step towards reforming the construction union so that it returns to focusing on the best interests of its members.”

Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt says there is ‘really no time for delay’ on the CFMEU Bill. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Senator Michaelia Cash said there were still three “critical issues” preventing the Coalition from supporting the bill, including terms around banning political donations and expenditure, calls for the administrator to regularly report to parliament, and implementing a three-year minimum administration term.

“This government wants to set and forget, if this government is absolutely dinkum on cleaning up the CFMEU as we are, these final three amendments, these critical amendments, that should be easy to accept,” he said.

Both the opposition and the Greens say they would like more time to look over the details before committing, with the Coalition calling for the union to run in administration for a minimum of three years instead of the maximum, as proposed by the government.

Senator Michaelia Cash reiterated calls for Labor to put through the key amendments to prove it was serious about ‘cleaning up the CFMEU’. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Senator Watt said that was not an option.

“The reality is that there are different levels of severity of allegations across different branches, and they need to be treated separately … the administration would go for a period of three years in total, but also with the power for the administrator to release particular branches from administration if they get a clean bill of health,” he said.

“The issue is that if we make every single branch stay in for three years, that will divert resources away from the problem areas, towards divisions and branches which have been found to be fine.”

GREENS SENATOR INTERJECTS

Outside of parliament, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young was filmed walking through the press conference of Nationals MP David Littleproud, stating: “Why don’t you say something about the children being slaughtered?”

Earlier on Thursday, Senator Hanson-Young appeared on ABC’s Radio National program, saying Mr Dutton has failed to show compassion for the people suffering in Gaza.

“I haven’t heard him utter a word of concern for the slaughter of tens of thousands of children and the tens of thousands more that are starving in Gaza, but he wants to whip up fear,” she said.

“And it’s not just dog-whistling politics. He’s blowing the fog horn.”

The Greens senator interjected David Littleproud's press conference, stating: 'Why don’t you say something about the children being slaughtered?' Picture: Supplied

BILLIONS OFF HECS DEBTS

Education Minister Jason Clare has introduced a Bill that could shave $3bn off HECS debts.

The Bill aims to keep student loan indexation lower than wage growth.

If passed, the government’s HECS bill could shave billions off student debt. Picture: NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

If passed, loan indexation would be adjusted to either the consumer price index or wage price index, depending on which is lower.

It comes after students were hit with a 7.1 per cent indexation last year, felt heavily on tax returns.

The government’s plan, which backdates to the last fiscal year, would see that lowered to the wage price index at 3.1 per cent.

Kooyong MP Monique Ryan celebrated the win, which followed a 288,000-signature petition launched by the independent, calling on the government to fix the broken HECS system.

“When hundreds of thousands of Australians stand up and demand change, the government has no choice but to listen to them,” she said.

“Younger Australians in particular are facing not just insurmountable HECS debts, but a housing crisis. They are also bearing the brunt of the rising cost of living.

“The major parties need to do a whole lot more to address the rising cost of housing, energy, and education. We’ll keep pushing them – this is just the start.”