Government rejects Keneally’s calls to ban far-right activist

The government will reject Kristina Keneally’s calls to ban far-right UK writer Raheem Kassam.

Raheem Kassan will appear at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Sydney. Picture: Twitter.

The government will reject Labor frontbencher Kristina Keneally’s calls to ban a far-right British writer from Australia over misogynistic, racist and homophobic tweets, as a pair of Liberal MPs defended appearing alongside him.

The Australian understand that the Department of Home Affairs will not revoke a visa for former Brietbart UK editor Raheem Kassam despite his offensive tweets which have included calling on Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to “shut her legs” after she revealed she had a miscarriage.

Immigration Minister David Coleman refused to comment on individual cases.

He has blocked far-right celebrities like Milo Yiannopoulos coming into Australia in recent months, but The Australian understands Mr Kassam already has a visa and the government will not intervene.

Liberal backbenchers Amanda Stoker and Craig Kelly will appear at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Sydney next month, where Mr Kassam will also speak.

Senator Keneally highlighted both Coalition MPs’ attendance in her attack on Mr Kassam.

Senator Stoker said the Labor home affairs spokeswoman wanted conservative views “silenced and siloed.”

“If we are doing our job properly as politicians, we should be talking with people from all walks of life, every day. We won’t agree with them all,” Senator Stoker told The Australian.

“Trying to shame into silence anyone who would speak to a person who is wrong on an issue damages our capacity for constructive democracy. When we are confronted with people with whom we disagree, we need to talk to them more, not less.

“Clearly Kristina Keneally would rather see Australians silenced and siloed, rather than able to interact with people who have different beliefs.

“While I don’t know all of the speakers at CPAC, I’m proud to be talking about economic productivity at an event with people of the calibre of John Anderson AO, Jacinta Price and Janet Albrechtsen, to name a few.”

Mr Kelly said Australia cannot ban everyone with offensive views.

“I’m sure the organisers of CPAC in Australia would like to thank Kristina Keneally for giving the CPAC Conference in Australia publicity,” he told The Australian.

“We are a nation with a long and proud history of free speech and Senator Keneally’s demands are part of a disturbing recent trend of attempts to silence those that hold different political views.

“If we banned everyone from Australia that said something offensive things on Twitter — our tourist numbers would be well down.”

CPAC director Andrew Cooper said he was proud to bring Mr Kassam to Australia and said Senator Keneally’s attacks showed the success of his upcoming conference in Sydney.

“Raheem Kassam is a Brexiteer and popular commentator and is attending and speaking alongside the head of the UK Brexit Party, Nigel Farage,” he said.

“CPAC is proud to bring Raheem Kassam to Australia and rejects Senator Keneally’s embarrassing attempt to shut down political opponents.

“Australia is a country with a long history of free speech, something authoritarian hard left opponents such as Senator Keneally seek to change simply because they sometimes do not like what their opponents might say.”