Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce says Australians tolerant

The former deputy prime minister said the Christchurch massacre was “abhorrent and brutal”, but not about Islamophobia.

BARNABY Joyce says Australia is an “overwhelmingly” tolerant society while suggesting the Christchuch massacre was not about Islamophobia but the “abhorrent and brutal” actions of the alleged perpetrator.

Speaking in Hobart on Friday, the former Nationals leader said he did not care what motivated the Australian accused of the attack in New Zealand in which 50 Muslims were killed and dozens more injured.

“I don’t care what he was driven by, I don’t care what demented reasons he put forward,” Mr Joyce said.

“I look through the eyes of this needs to be prosecuted.”

Mr Joyce spoke out after Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Network Ten’s The Project he did not think the Liberals or Nationals had a problem with Islamophobia.

The former immigration minister told interviewer Waleed Aly an eight-year-old report he had encouraged his party to capitalise on anti-Islamic sentiment were false.

Instead, he said, he had wanted to quell fears about Muslims — “actually seek to try and address them”.

Mr Joyce on Friday said he could not answer whether the Nationals had a problem with Islamophobia as he no longer held the top job.

“Speaking for myself I say of course [I am not Islamophobic],” he said.

“I would not be part of [the Coalition] if it was legitimising the persecution of any religious group.”

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Mr Joyce also said he did not think Australia had issues with other ethnicities or cultures.

“We do demand that people abide by the rules and customs of Australia, because that’s how we have a tolerant and compassionate society,” Mr Joyce said.

“Overwhelmingly that is the case.

“Obviously we have exceptions and probably the most recent has nothing to do with Islamophobia but for Australia has a lot to do with the absolutely abhorrent and brutal actions of an individual who should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for what he did in New Zealand.”

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