Question time dominated by Peter Dutton call on visas for Gaza refugees

The Albanese government has hit back at the Coalition after Peter Dutton called into question security measures around visas for people trying to leave Gaza.

The Albanese government has fired back at Peter Dutton over the Opposition Leader’s days-long attack on the security vetting of visas for refugees from war-torn Gaza.

During a feisty question time on Monday, the Prime Minister accused the Coalition of hypocrisy for attacking Labor over appropriate security vetting for Palestinian refugees fleeing Gaza to come to Australia.

“There is something wrong with you,” Anthony Albanese said to Mr Dutton.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took issue with the Opposition Leader’s attack on his government’s handling of visas for refugees from Gaza. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Albanese said the Coalition had also granted visitor visas to arrivals from Gaza.

“During their time in office, they issued more than 1000 visitor visas to Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian territories,” the Prime Minister said.

“During that entire time Hamas controlled the Gaza Strip. They took over in 2006. They were in charge in Gaza … The hypocrisy, it is just extraordinary.”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke accused Mr Dutton of pouring “a bucket of kerosene” on social tensions at a time when the intelligence community is calling on politicians to cool things down.

“It wasn’t much more than the six-second delay on radio between Mike Burgess, as the director-general of ASIO telling people to cool the temperature, before [Peter Dutton] runs along with a bucket of kerosene saying ‘where can I throw it on the fire?’” he said.

“What would be the motive for someone saying we should lower our national security principles and let visa applicants know if we’re doing a security assessment on them?

Peter Dutton continued the Opposition’s attack during Question Time. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Leader of the House Tony Burke accused the opposition of ‘pouring kerosene” on the debate. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Burke later said the Opposition Leader was persisting with the issue to keep himself in the headlines.

But it was Treasurer Jim Chalmers that delivered the fiercest blow, telling the House that Mr Dutton’s “divisive rhetoric” should “disqualify him from the prime ministership”.

“They’re trying to divide and diminish people, Mr Speaker,” the Treasurer said.

“They care more about starting culture wars than finishing the fight against inflation.

“Now, Mr Speaker, this is the most divisive Opposition Leader that we have seen, and that should disqualify him from the Prime ministership of a great country like ours.

“He has decades of form when it comes to divisive rhetoric, which divides our community and makes Australians less safe, not more safe, Mr Speaker.”

Mr Dutton drew criticism last week after he called for a blanket ban on people seeking refuge from Gaza, trying to paint the Albanese government as weak on national security.

Coalition MPs wrote a letter to Mr Burke, calling on the newly appointed Home Affairs Minister to tighten visa vetting for applicants from Gaza to ensure they held no rhetorical support for Hamas.

But Mr Dutton went a step further, demanding all visa applications from Gaza be refused, claiming people fleeing the war could pose a threat to Australia’s national security.

He told Sky News no one from Gaza should be entering Australia right now.

The vast majority of the 1300 arrivals from Gaza were granted visitor visas, rather than refugees visas.

Zali Steggall is standing by her calling out Peter Dutton over Gaza visas. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Dutton’s ban call led to a stoush with Independent MP Zali Steggall, who on Monday said she did not regret telling Mr Dutton to “stop being racist” during a heated debate on visas for Palestinians fleeing war-torn Gaza.

Ms Steggall made the controversial statement after the Liberal leader repeatedly interrupted her.

Speaking to the ABC on Monday, Ms Steggall said it was “always better to keep your cool ... But no, I don’t [regret it].”

“We see policies that are inherently racist and they’re designed to foster fear and hatred of a minority group, and the fear of the consequences of calling out means that the policy itself doesn’t get examined and called out, and that’s just bullying and intimidation,” she said.

“So no, I think it’s really important for the sake of our social cohesion, for Australia as a nation, to call this out.”

Ms Steggall repeated her assessment of Mr Dutton to media several times after their encounter in the House.

Over the weekend, Sky News reported the opposition leader was seeking legal advice.

Before question time on Monday, the Prime Minister was again asked to weigh in on the issue.

He made clear that he disagreed with Mr Dutton, but would not repeat Ms Steggall’s phrase.

“I think Peter Dutton is deeply divisive and well that creates a risk to the nation,” Mr Albanese told the ABC.

“With Peter Dutton, everything’s about politics, and everything is about division. What I’m concerned about is actually delivering on the issues … that really matter to Australians.”

NSW Liberal senator Hollie Hughes on Monday called on Ms Steggall to apologise.

“I think she should absolutely apologise, but it’s so typical of those of the left when they have nothing left in their argument, they go for personal smears,” Senator Hughes told Sky News.

“We know that the teals are nothing but Greens in a Gucci jacket and it’s just appalling that they are basically behaving like useful idiots for those who must support us.”

Questions over visas again dominated House debate on Monday as parliament sat for its second week since the winter break.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says security processing of visa seekers has not changed since the Coalition was in government. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The debate stems from comments made by ASIO boss Mike Burgess.

Mr Burgess said rhetorical support for Palestinian militant group Hamas did not necessarily make someone a national security risk.

Since the comments, the opposition has demanded the Albanese government divulge vetting practices, even though the security-sensitive processes remain the same as when the Coalition was in power.