Dutton: NRL creating precedent for social issues with Macklemore song

Peter Dutton said the NRL was creating a precedent for future social issues if Macklemore was allowed to perform gay anthem.

Macklemore will perform his marriage equality anthem at the NRL Grand Final. Picture: AFP

Immigration minister Peter Dutton said the National Rugby League was creating a precedent for future social messages being part of the code if it allowed grand final entertainer Macklemore to promote gay marriage.

Mr Dutton said the NRL, as the sponsor of the artist, dictates the content that will be sung at the grand final and said if there was free speech on the issue then songs and messages promoting the no vote should stand alongside the yes campaign.

“I don’t think Australian parents taking kids to the footy want political messages down their throat,” he said in London this morning after addressing a centre-right think tank, the Policy Exchange.

“I think sporting events and work places are totally the wrong places for these political messages, people go to the AFL and NRL finals to see a game of football: they don’t want to be sold political messages.

“The NRL might find in the next seasons people may want to promote social issues, this is an interesting precedent, what other social issues do they want to make in the years to come?”

Mr Dutton supported the stance of former leader Tony Abbott who said fans shouldn’t be subjected to a politicised grand final.

“I am into free speech … presumably two songs should be played, one for gay marriage and one against gay marriage,’’ Mr Dutton said.

Mr Dutton also repeated his controversial claims Australia’s “Armani” refugees have been accepted by the United States sending a strong message to the people smugglers about Australian’s tough migration stance. He said he didn’t regret using the description as some of the migrants had paid $20,000 to people smugglers to try and jump the queue into the country.

“We are not going to allow people who seeking an economic outcome to subvert the rules and jump the queue and put others at further risk from death or persecution by bumping them out,” he said.

“We have a finite number of places we can offer, there is a lot we can be proud of, but we not allow people smugglers to dictate our policy’’.

He said the most important message from the transfer of migrants to the United States as part of a deal negotiated by Malcolm Turnbull and former US president Barack Obama was Australia was not going to allow new arrivals by boat.

“We are not going to give into people smugglers.

“Those who believe they have gone away don’t understand the current threat and the recent history,” he warned.

“It beggars belief the Labour party is tearing itself apart on the issue of border security, they have already said they will do away with temporary protection visas, they are shaky when it comes to turning back boats when it is safe to do so and they are completely split on offshore processing.”

The British audience, comprising of many members of the House of Lords were interested in how Australia remained politically firm on its migration stance.

Mr Dutton said the Australian public had acknowledged that there was now integrity in the migration policy.

“People see there is fairness, an ability to cancel visas where people act inappropriately and that is being enforced and people are not subverting the rules of engagement,” he said.

“These are lessons that need to be refreshed periodically in our country.”