Major Political Parties in Australia including the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull have condemned the call for a final solution to Muslim migration suggested by a Senator from a minority Political Party.
The Senator had read a speech where he used the term ‘final solution’ to reiterate his stand for a revival of a “White Australia” restrictive immigration policy.
The White Australia policy was a series of immigration laws used to restrict non-European
immigration into Australia from 1901 until the late 1960s.
The uproar caused by the divisive speech was reminiscent of a similar speech delivered by far-right politician Pauline Hanson; she had incorrectly declared in that speech that Australia was being overrun by Asians.
The minority party Senator, Fraser Anning had called for a National vote intent on banning Muslim migration into Australia.
Senator Anning told the Australian Parliament that Muslims were responsible for acts of terror and crime and were also solely dependent on state welfare.
Australia’s population census data however proves the senator wrong as it shows that Muslims account for less than three percent of Australia’s general population.
Senator Anning’s speech sent the Australian into an uproar and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had to issue a statement on the floor of Australia’s parliament condemning the content of Anning’s speech.
“We reject, we condemn racism in any form, and the remarks by Sen. Anning are justly condemned and rejected by us all,” he said.
The leader of the opposition labour Party, Bill Shorten also condemned Senator Anning on the parliament floor and said the senator’s action was so outrageous it deserved condemnation from the entire country.
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Australia will carry out an election by May 2019 and recent polls have shown that most Australians favour multiculturalism even though far-right political parties are expected to give the main parties a real challenge in the elections.
Senator Anning has been in the Australian Parliament for less than a year and is in an alliance with several independent conservative lawmakers in Australia’s upper house.
Although Anning split from his far-right One Nation party led by Hanson shortly after being sworn in, his latest speech had many
of the hallmarks of his former leader who has also called for cuts to Asian and Muslim immigration.
Excerpts of his speech read, “The final solution to the immigration problem, of course, is a popular vote.”
The phrase the Final Solution was popular during the Second World War when the officials of Nazi Germany used the phrase to describe the systematic extermination of European Jews during WWII.
While Senator Anning said he did not know the history of the phrase, the leader of his former party Hanson joined the condemnation, telling the Senate she was appalled by Anning’s speech.
“We are a multi-racial society and I have always advocated you do not have to be white to be
Australian,” she said effectively throwing her former party member under the bus.