Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

on indulgence—I want to join with the Attorney-General in the remarks that he's made so far as they go to condemnation of any use of Nazi symbols, of the salute and of any glorification of that period of history. I would support any legislation in this parliament that he chooses to move—noting that he has not chosen to move any legislation—to make illegal in our country the display of any aspect of Nazi glorification.

I find the response today to be quite remarkable and over the top—to use this issue to political advantage. I've been in this place for 22 years. You can look at my history in every comment that I've made in relation to making sure that we never, ever repeat the mistakes of history, particularly during that period. The slaughter of Jews and the treatment by the Nazis of people during the Second World War, and the treatment today of people of the Jewish faith, is an abomination, and it is equally condemned. That it would be used for political purposes in this place is a very poor reflection on the Attorney-General, if I might say so.

As Minister for Home Affairs, as Minister for Defence and as a member of the National Security Committee, I supported every decision—in fact, I encouraged to the nth degree the Director-General of ASIO to use every resource at his disposal to make sure that those who would seek to propagate this hatred be charged according to the law. I won't take a morals lecture from that man or, indeed, that one. He might get up and make a statement himself.

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