Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

We've just heard from the member for Sturt, and in her contribution she indicated that, effectively, this government has no plan with respect to this cohort. If we're to take the opposition's position, or be as generous as we can for the opposition's position, it's one of indifference relative to this cohort.

Government members: You are the opposition!

The government, I should say. Well, hope springs eternal that it won't be long! But the point about that is that, if we're to take the government's position at its highest, it's one of indifference. My friend opposite said, 'What we should be doing is empowering the security agencies.' No. What we should be doing is directing the security agencies to go and get the evidence we require to deal with this cohort, to ensure that all members of this cohort are subject to an exclusion order.

Now, there's been a softening up of the Australian people regarding this cohort. There are references to brides and children, and—

Government members interjecting—

No. I'm not softening them up. Those opposite need to appreciate that these are ISIS sympathisers, and I think there's an opportunity to remind those opposite of ISIS's record of terror. Let's start. This is a barbaric terrorist death cult. This is a regime that's built on genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes—the Yazidi genocide; mass killing of men; enslavement of women and girls; attempted eradication of the entire people; systematic sexual slavery; women and children treated as commodities, bought and sold under an organised slave market; public executions and beheadings used as propaganda to intimidate a population and recruit extremists; massacre of civilians in Iraq and Syria to consolidate control; the torture and killing of hostages, including foreign journalists and aid workers; and the indoctrination and weaponisation of children, training and arming and deploying minors for propaganda and violence. Who can forget the image of the young Australian boy holding the severed head of a victim or the other image of a child standing before a crucified body all as part of ISIS's campaign of propaganda?

Let's not soften the Australian people up for their return. We don't want to reintroduce that level of hate into this country. We do not want to see that, and those opposite have an opportunity. What they are right now is indifferent to the return of these ISIS sympathisers. On one hand, the Prime Minister says: 'You make your bed. You lie in it.' On the other hand, he's quite happy to say, 'I have no power to stop third parties doing these things.' This story has a long way to go yet, and the truth will reveal itself.

Those opposite have an opportunity—we're introducing legislation which will make it a criminal offence to assist people to return to this country. If you seek to support them, then you've committed a criminal offence. Join us. Let's agree to legislate that position because these individuals can never return to this country. If they do, Australians' safety and security will have been compromised. This is a 'whose side are you on' moment in this place.

Honourable members interjecting—

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