Labor’s double standard on who’s refused entry

LABOR'S decision to grant a visa to Taji Mustafa has revealed once again that the government is just making it up as it goes along when it comes to immigration.

The decision to grant a visa to the British leader of Muslim extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organisation that has condoned the killing of Australian soldiers in Afghanistan and called for the military destruction of Israel, was provocative to say the least.

The fact that his visit coincided with the violent and extreme riots that took place in Sydney on the same weekend will leave people wondering.

Even if this is just a coincidence, at the very least the violence and riots that took place underscore why allowing people from such groups into the country can be very unwise.

At the very least, one step the government should take is to prevent foreign HUT representatives from entering Australia to help promote the organisation's violent and extreme agenda in the future.

However, by allowing Mustafa into Australia, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has also now boxed himself in on other cases, including whether Geert Wilders, known for his extreme views on Islam, should now be allowed to enter the country.

This is a sensitive time and we should be considering carefully who we allow to come to Australia and participate in public debate on our shores.

Australian citizens have the right to say whatever they like. However, unlike those visiting the country, they have to live with the consequences of what they say in our national community.

I'm all for freedom of speech and religion, so long as it is matched with an accountability to and respect for our national law. I also believe it should be fostered along with a commitment to our national interests and values.

The accountability of citizens is far greater than those who simply come to visit, as those visiting can always leave the problems they create behind.

Already there seems to be a double standard at work in the way Labor is dealing with the cases of Mustafa and Wilders. So far Labor seems to be more concerned about some extreme views than others.

Mustafa was not on the government's movement alert list and was immediately granted a visa by Bowen. By contrast, Wilders is on the movement alert list and had his visa application delayed for at least three weeks, despite other members of his party being granted visas almost immediately.

The differential treatment of Wilders's application is despite the fact the decision of the Brown Labour government in Britain to deny Wilders entry was overturned. He has also not fallen foul of Bowen's own criteria, outlined to the parliament this week, for justifying his decision to allow Mustafa to come to and remain in Australia, namely he has not been convicted of any crime, nor is he a member of any proscribed organisation.

The problem with the Mustafa and Wilders cases is that the government seems to be adopting a double standard and making it up as they go along. This undermines public confidence in and erodes the capacity of the government to make immigration decisions in the national interest.

On too many occasions, this minister has made bold but hollow public threats to use the character test to deny entry and cancel visas. The rioters at our detention centres on Christmas Island and at Villawood who burned the place to the ground know this to be true.

As a result, I don't blame any Australian for not taking seriously his threats to deal with any non-citizens who were part of the extreme violent riots that took place in Sydney last weekend.

There are arguments for and against whether Wilders should be allowed to come to Australia just at there are for Mustafa, and I have made many of those arguments. However, the weak stance taken by Bowen means that if he is happy for Mustafa to come, he can hardly now reject Wilders's application.

I have no appetite for people seeking to import the problems of other countries into Australia. I don't care whether those problems are in the Middle East or in Europe, our focus must be on the challenges we face in this country as Australians, with Australian interests being paramount, regardless of where we come from. Our situation and challenges are very different to what is occurring in other parts of the world, including The Netherlands and the Middle East.

In the age of YouTube, we all know the views of international commentators. I'm not convinced that the contribution of fly-in, fly-out commentators is always helpful, especially when the subjects are as sensitive as these, and the contributions being offered are from the extremes of the debate.

We must have our own debate in this country, not a rerun of the debates overseas. I prefer listening and talking to people with skin in the game, who are committed to this country and all it stands for, regardless of where they come from.

We must be able to openly and candidly discuss our differences, fears and aspirations. We must be able to do this together as Australians, without fear of vilification of being called racists or un-Australian.

We must do it with a real sense of accountability. The alternative is the shame, hysteria, ignorance and violence we saw last weekend and as we have seen on other occasions. It just doesn't have to be this way.