Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

The reason I am bringing this up is that it is a matter of national interest that this man does not enter parliament. Mr Eideh has written to the President of Syria and declared:

... the danger and threat from the Imperialist and Zionist is increasing on our Arabic world in general, and particularly on our Arabic Syrian country.

…            …            …

We owe our complete loyalty to and are working to protect Syria.

He finishes by pledging to the President of Syria—a dictator, Dictator Assad:

Loyalty, absolute loyalty to your courageous and wise leadership and we pledge to continue to be faithful soldiers behind your victorious leadership.

That is a man who, if the Leader of the Opposition is serious about the national interest, will not enjoy Labor Party preselection. That same person gave a speech in 2002, reprinted in the Sydney Arabic newspaper—

See this speech in context