For the second day in a row, the Opposition targeted the Albanese government in Parliament over its handling of visas for Palestinians.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton claimed that the Albanese government has granted nearly 3,000 visitor visas to individuals from the Gaza war zone, a move he argues poses a potential threat to national security.
This marks the second consecutive day at the Parliament where the opposition has targeted the Albanese government on the issue of visas for Palestinians.
In his response yesterday, Albanese stated that his government has not changed any visa provisions and is following the same procedures as the previous Coalition government.
However, Dutton refuted this claim, calling it untrue. He argued that Syrian refugees granted entry during his tenure underwent rigorous security checks at multiple visa processing points before arriving in Australia.
These checks included collecting and verifying biometric data against Australia’s security agencies and interviews with Australian departmental officers to assess claims and identity.
“These measures have not been undertaken under the Albanese government’s change of policy to grant visitor visas, including to people who have expressed sympathy for the Hamas terrorist organization,” Dutton said, calling for the prime minister to immediately attend the chamber to explain why he misled the House.
Albanese, however, was not present to respond. Addressing concerns raised in Parliament yesterday, the prime minister accused the opposition of engaging in divisive politics.
He also reiterated that the opposition should heed the message from the ASIO Director General Mike Burgess on Aug. 5.
On the Palestine issue, Burgess stated, “At this stage, we do not believe any of the terrorist plots we have investigated in the last year have been inspired by Gaza. Terrorist leaders offshore are not inspiring attacks onshore.”
Dutton claimed that antisemitism in Australia is at a record high.
“People in the Jewish community feel unsafe, and the Director General of ASIO has rightly raised significant concerns,” he said.
However, defending his speech, he insisted, “This is not against people of a particular religious belief or political persuasion. This is about keeping our country safe.”
Dutton was joined by Shadow Minister for Immigration Dan Tehan, who made similar accusations. The rhetorical and accusatory tone of both members was, however, objected to by other members of Parliament.