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Housing Minister Clare O’Neil has called on the opposition not to politicize the issue of 34 Australian ISIS brides and their children returning home as she faces a barrage of questions about Seven’s situation. Sunrise this morning from host Natalie Barr and fellow panelist National Senator Bridget McKenzie.
McKenzie called on the prime minister to issue a temporary exclusion order for a group of ISIS brides, a counter-terrorism measure that prevents citizens from re-entering the country if the government believes they pose a security threat.
“What’s worrying is that Labor seems incredibly accommodating with this group. “We’ve got one of Tony Burke’s political partners. [who] driving the push to bring back this cohort. “Now, I can’t imagine a greater conflict for the home secretary than to have a man who literally launched the Friends of Tony Burke into a federal election campaign while also ensuring the repatriation of ISIS brides,” McKenzie said.
“At the moment Labor appears incredibly politically compromised by the return of the ISIS brides.”
O’Neil responded by calling McKenzie’s allegations “outrageous” and “offensive” and accused the opposition of politicizing the issue.
“Everything you’re talking about here is politics, politics, politics. Our government is only interested in the safety of Australians, and to suggest that someone charged with protecting the national security of our country is doing something for political reasons without a shred of evidence is offensive and wrong. And I think you should stop saying that, and the opposition should stop saying that if that’s among the talking points for the day,” he said.
“These are important national security issues that deserve to be addressed outside the normal sphere of intervention of politics. We are charged with defending our country and protecting our country, and that is the only way, the only focus, that the interior minister will use when considering the exercise of his powers.”
