George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is time that we as a country had a straightforward conversation about national security. I accept that some people will go into apoplexy the minute anyone mentions one of their trigger words but they must form part of the conversation that we have to have around national security. So I suggest that anyone shackled to rabid political correctness and those who permanently search for reasons to be outraged to look away or turn off right now.

I am concerned about the rise of Islamism in this country and those who are willing to commit violence in the name of that ideology. We should consider some tighter controls on borders, such as restricting immigration from countries where there is a high prevalence of violent extremism and radicalism. Many immigrants entering this country in recent years do not share our Australian values. Their views are widespread in the countries from which they come. We must ask: if they are diametrically opposed to the values that helped shape our nation and that underpin our society and our culture, why do they choose to come to Australia in the first place? There are other countries they would find less offensive—countries where they could enjoy a similar level of oppression and violence to which they are accustomed and which they obviously want. It is not necessary for them to travel halfway around the world to come to Australia and demand Australians change their culture, their society and their laws to match those of their former homeland.

If we fail to realise that some of the people who do follow that path despise our nation, despise our people and despise our way of life and wish to do us harm then we as a nation will fail and the consequences will be catastrophic. We need to have this conversation about national security because the alternative is to allow free rein to those who do discuss our national security and discuss it in terms of violence, random killings, beheadings and acts of terrorism. For those we have already failed to stop at the front door or allowed to come by boat through the back door, we must act in the national interest to protect our values.

Those who come to our shores who do not share our values do not deserve Australian citizenship. If dual citizens demonstrate their hatred of our values by planning and committing acts of terrorism or by joining foreign armies to fight against our own they can now be rightly stripped of their Australian citizenship. But we should be going further. Those who do not hold dual citizenship but have the capacity to become a citizen of another country should have their Australian citizenship revoked and advised to seek alternative residency arrangements. I note the wording of the pledge made by residents when they become an Australian citizen:

From this time forward, I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people, whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I will uphold and obey.

I note also that applicants for provisional, permanent and some temporary visas are required to sign a statement reflecting these core values in a little more detail. The statement says:

I undertake to respect these values of Australian society during my stay in Australia and to obey the laws of Australia.

As a nation, we have made it very clear what is expected from citizens. If we are to take these responsibilities seriously, we must show the intestinal fortitude to take action against those who breach those rules. We must also have the intestinal fortitude to not only insist on the rule of Australian law but specifically rule out the possibility of any other law applying in this country. I particularly name sharia law. For a number of years there have been repeated calls for the introduction of sharia law into Australia. Back in 2010 TheSydney Morning Herald reported:

Elements of Islamic law—the sharia—should be legally recognised in Australia so that Muslims can live according to their faith, a prominent Muslim leader says

That Muslim leader was the President of the Australian Islamic Mission, Zachariah Matthews, speaking at an open day at the Lakemba Mosque. In 2011, the ABC reported:

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils wants Muslims to be able to marry, divorce and conduct financial transactions under the principles of sharia law.

Recently, we have seen sharia law being practiced in this country, according to a report in The Australian on 23 December last year.

Australia may be a pluralist society but we only have one law. We enjoy many freedoms, including freedom of religion, but sharia is not a religion and, for that matter, neither is Islamism. In this country, there is no freedom to pick and choose which laws you obey. Our law, our values, our culture and our society have made this country the greatest in the world. We must continue a conversation on national security to ensure it stays that way. (Time expired)