Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has used the aftermath of the Bondi terror attack to push for a stricter immigration policy, calling for migrants to adhere to 'Australian values'. In a series of interviews with Sky News, Hastie argued that the focus should be on 'who we let into our country' rather than just numbers.
Hastie, who resigned from the shadow cabinet in October to campaign for lower immigration, said the Australian people have had 'a gutful' and that the country needs to 'narrow, very dramatically, those who we let into our country'. He emphasised that migrants should support 'faith, reason, inquiry, debate, persuasion' and 'our country and our people'.
When pressed by Sky News' Andrew Clennell on whether he wanted fewer migrants from Muslim-majority countries, Hastie repeated his call for English-speaking migrants who support Australian values. In a later interview, he specifically mentioned 'radical Islamic theology' as a problem that needs to be addressed through immigration policy.
Hastie's comments come as the Coalition prepares to release its immigration policy principles, which will include a commitment to force visa holders to comply with 'Australian values'. The Bondi attack, which left multiple people dead, was declared a terrorist incident by police.
Meanwhile, fellow backbencher Jacinta Nampijinpa Price also used the attack to call for a ban on the keffiyeh in parliament, outlawing the chant 'from the river to the sea', banning pro-Palestine marches, and cancelling visas for Gazan refugees. Both MPs have significant influence in rightwing circles, with Hastie's initial video response to the attack garnering nearly one million views on Instagram.
