TOPICS: NSW firearm buyback, multiculturalism, banning migration from certain countries, Do Not Travel list, refugees, food security, babies born alive

MacPherson  

Seriously, this is federal Labor’s version of Victoria's machete bin policy. It'll be about as effective, which is to say, it won't do anything to stop radical Islamic terror attacks. Here's New South Wales opposition leader Kelly Sloane

Sloane  

To suggest a gun buyback is going to solve this for us and is going to stop another Bondi is absolute bullshit. And I'm sorry for the language; it's entirely unlike me. But I am frustrated, and we need to make sure that we are addressing the real enemy. I can tell you, the real enemy is not a farmer, and it is not a law-abiding sporting student from Sydney's West. That is not the real enemy.

MacPherson  

And she's absolutely right. Law-abiding people will hand back their guns, and I know Anthony Albanese will find this difficult to get his head around, but bad guys won't hand back their guns. Here's another thing the Prime Minister should understand: guns don't hate people, knives don't hate people, cars don't hate people. Actually, I once owned a Datsun 180B that I'm pretty sure hated me. But you know what I'm saying: radical Islamists they hate Jews. They want to kill Jews, so instead of buying back guns, perhaps we should try something genuinely radical. Why don't we send back radical Islamists? Joining me now is Nationals MP Anne Webster. Anne, thanks for coming on the program. Do you think the gun buyback is a sensible response to Islamic terrorism?

Webster  

Absolutely not, James. There is not a question that we, as The Nationals, have about this. There has already been tabled a bill to abolish Labor's gun buyback laws, done in the Senate, and we expect it to come through to the House this week because we know that it's not law-abiding gun or firearm owners who are the problem here, as you have rightly pointed out, it is Jewish-hating Islamists who are radicalised, and that's the key problem. So, going after -  and we've been saying this for a year - going after law-abiding gun owners is absolutely the wrong approach.

MacPherson  

Anthony Albanese tweeted this today. I wanted to get your thoughts. He tweeted, "Australia is the most successful multicultural nation in the world, and our Italian community have been at the heart of that." For generations, I suppose. And when I read that, less than nine months after the largest terror attack on Australian soil, I thought, I reckon that might ring a little hollow for a lot of people. Where the most successful multicultural nation on earth, maybe we were. Could we still say that? Do you think?

Webster  

Oh, look! I think that we have a great deal of success. We have so many cultures who now live in Australia and have taken up Australian values. In fact, they came here because they wanted to come to the best country in the world, the best nation in the world, and we welcome them. The problem that we have is that there are elements and criminals, terrorists who are hiding in dark holes around Australia, who are waiting to make their next attack. They are the problem, and so you know our law enforcement bodies need to be empowered to do everything they can to stop people coming into Australia with those values, and to make sure that those who have come here and who are trouble leave, but they are not welcome here.

MacPherson  

Okay, so just on that, One Nation have come up with an interesting proposal, they want to ban immigrants from countries on DFAT's do-not-travel list, and I kind of get it because it enables them to ban immigration from countries where radical Islam is rife. I'm thinking of Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and they can do that while blaming DFAT rather than simply saying we're banning immigrants from countries where we believe Islam is a problem, where the One Nation plan I think falls down is with countries like Ukraine, which is also on the DFAT no-travel list. Not because we're suggesting Ukrainians are a problem, but because Russia has invaded. Your thoughts on that policy?

Webster  

Yeah. Look, I think the intent, yeah of course, we understand the point, but the Do Not Travel list is actually put out for on Smart Traveller. It's level four. It's advising Australians where not to travel in order to be safe. In 2011, we had the Japanese earthquake. Japan became a do-not-travel place. It didn't mean that Japan has a problem with Australia. It's just that for various reasons, places are made do-not-travel. And yes, Ukraine is absolutely one of those places. I think the other issue that it raises, though, James, is that we have refugees, genuine refugees who are absolutely not safe in the countries that they currently live in, and who are seeking asylum in Australia. So those issues still need to be dealt with appropriately, and you know the temporary protection visa is one that should give an asylum to people while proper vetting should be going on before they come, but then once they're here as well, should they come?

MacPherson  

I want to get to food security, but just before we move on from this subject, would you be in favour of a discriminatory immigration policy where there are certain nations and certain people groups, we just say no, we're not having you.

Webster  

Look, as I said, I think that there are countries where there are people who are Islamic who are not safe in the country because of other horrendous Islamic aggression and terrorism. So I think it's a very complicated little piece of policy, and I think you know that's why the do-not-travel list is not appropriate. It is far more complex than that, and it takes a government who is paying attention to the real issues, radical Islam, and sorting out who is coming into the country and making sure that we are in control of those who want to live in Australia, and that it's right for Australia.

MacPherson  

You know, Anne, I think you've put your finger on something. We need a government that is paying attention. And the thing that scares me about a non-discriminatory immigration policy is, if the government aren't paying attention, then we really don't know what we're bringing in to the country, staying on the theme of immigration, but changing tack slightly. We all know mass immigration is having an adverse effect on housing, but The Nationals are worried about mass immigration and food security. New data from the ABS shows food production is not keeping up with population growth, and if things continue, within a decade, we'll need to import everything from apples, butter, cheese, eggs, pork, chicken, and rice. My parents would never have imagined Australia might be in a position where we needed to import such standard food items.

Webster  

Look, we've just finished The Nationals Federal Conference, and Matt Canavan gave this speech at the conference. It was well received, and I've got to say, it's not just about migration levels. Yes, that's very serious, and it is impacting our food security for the future. But as we've discussed before, it is also the policies that this government has brought in, which are railroading our farmers, which are causing large swathes of good agricultural land, prime agricultural land, to become carbon sinks and forests instead of growing food and fibre. And you know, then we've got all the policies that Labor have been putting in place, the water buybacks, you know, the biosecurity measures, the additional costs, the red tape-it goes on and on under Labor, and it is putting Australia in an unthinkable position, that we may end up with a food security, a serious food security issue within a decade. I agree. My parents wouldn't have thought that could ever be a thing either.

MacPherson  

Who would have imagined an Australia where energy security and food security were things we were talking about? It just beggars belief. Before I let you go, your colleague Llew O'Brien will bring a bill forward tomorrow seeking to mandate medical care for babies that survive an abortion, why should people get behind this bill?

Webster  

Look, we have … this is not about,  just before people lose it, this is not about women's rights. It's not about abortion. It is about the fact that when a little life is born alive from an abortion, that they are given appropriate medical care.  You'd have to have a stone heart to think that that is not appropriate. So you know, I really support Llew in in his approach. I think the Australian Christian Lobby will also be in Parliament House tomorrow, and we'll have I think it's 10,000 booties, little baby booties, out the front of Canberra Parliament House. And these issues, you know, we don't like to get into them. We don't like to discuss them because they're highly emotive, and I understand all of that. But we have to look at the human rights of that little baby too.

MacPherson  

Yeah, I believe your leader Matt Canavan is going to be there tomorrow, as well as Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce. I really hope that Labor would come to support that bill. We'll hold our breath. Anne Webster, appreciate you joining me. Thanks so much.

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