Scott Morrison clashes with Waleed Aly during interview on The Project

Scott Morrison has clashed with The Project host Waleed Aly over claims of ­Islamophobia within the government | WATCH

Scott Morrison has clashed with The Project television host Waleed Aly over claims of ­Islamophobia within the government, accusing him of “sugar-coating” the threat posed by criminal asylum-seekers and refugees being held offshore.

The Prime Minister said many Australians did not understand Islam and were afraid of it, but ­declared the Coalition parties did not have a problem with the ­religion as he defended his government’s track record on upholding community cohesion.

In an often combative interview last night, Mr Morrison addressed claims that he urged shadow cabinet in 2011 to “capitalise” on the electorate’s growing concerns about Muslim immigration and social integration, saying that it “never happened”.

He lashed out at the Gold Logie winner, accusing him of trying to dismiss the threat posed by nearly 60 individuals identified as having “serious character concerns” — including accused murderers and rapists — who are now eligible to be transferred to Australia from offshore facilities under Labor-backed medivac laws.

While Mr Morrison could not identify the exact number of alleged murderers, rapists and paedophiles in the group, saying he did not have the “number to hand”, he suggested Aly was making excuses for them. “What I’m saying to you, Waleed, though is this — don’t sugar-coat this stuff. It doesn’t excuse it,” Mr Morrison said. “I’m afraid, mate, sometimes you could be accused of that. You’re saying that there was no risk, Waleed. There was risk and you say it didn’t exist.”

He also held out the prospect of preferencing One Nation ahead of Labor and the Greens, standing by his formula that he would not strike an overarching deal with Pauline Hanson over Coalition preferences.

Waleed Aly and Scott Morrison on The Project. Picture: TEN

“I’m going to wait to see what all the nominations are, and in our party those decisions are made by the party organisation,” he said.

The interview followed an emotional editorial by the Muslim TV host after the Christchurch massacre, shared more than 12 million times on social media, in which he raised a 2011 report by The Sydney Morning Herald claiming Mr Morrison urged colleagues in shadow cabinet to capitalise on growing community concerns about “Muslim immigration”.

The editorial infuriated the Prime Minister’s Office, which demanded an apology, saying it was based on an incorrect report.

Mr Morrison denied his government had a problem with Muslims but acknowledged there were concerns within Australian society.

“No, I don’t think the party has a problem. I don’t think the Liberal Party, as a total group, has that problem. And I don’t think the National party does ­either,” he said.

Pressed explicitly on whether Australia had an Islamophobia problem, Mr Morrison said: “I don’t know if Australians understand Islam very well, and that can often lead to the fear of things you don’t understand, so by definition that’s what it leads to.”

However, he directly acknowledged there was “no doubt” that an ideological form of Islamophobia did exist within Australia. “As leader, it is my job to ensure that the tone that I set is the right tone and the tone I have set you can see from my experience,” he said.