Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. In the building today are several members of the Wagga Wagga Yazidi community, who have come to Canberra to share their trauma that they received at the hands of ISIS, or Daesh, before they fled to Australia. How can the government assure the inconsistent messaging regarding ISIS sympathisers returning to Australia won't destroy the lives these beautiful Yazidi people are rebuilding in our country?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Riverina for his question, and I join him in welcoming the members of that community. The ISIS ideological position is one that seeks to wreak violence, murder and trauma on the world, but no group more than in their local community, than in the Middle East itself. Minority groups like the Yazidi community have suffered greatly.

They have been welcomed to Australia and have been working hard in communities such as yours, working in the agricultural sector. Right throughout Australia, they have been welcomed. We are a welcoming country, and we stand completely against the evil regime that is ISIS. That's why—and I know that the member for Riverina has a proud history of not seeking to promote division or playing politics with these issues—no-one in this place should be doing that. No-one should be suggesting the sort of interjections that I heard across the chamber earlier. We all stand, united as Australians, against Islamic State. We all stand—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bowman is warned.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And that's an example, where I am speaking about what Australia's position is. We need—and I have consistently said this—a search for more unity and coming together for our common interest, and of not trying to play these political games, pretending the Constitution isn't there and pretending that the law isn't there, but engaging directly with people. That's how people, such as the community that fled danger and made Australia their home as refugees, can get that reassurance that we as a nation have given communities from all over the world, at least since the dismantling of the White Australia policy, which now, I would hope, is a bipartisan position. I say to the member for Riverina: I know that the Minister for Home Affairs is meeting with the community as well. That would be welcomed.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This afternoon.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He's meeting with them this afternoon. They are welcome, and I thank them for the contribution they're making as loyal Australians, not giving up the heritage of their own culture but adopting, as well, loyalty to our great nation.