Shadow housing minister Andrew Bragg has rejected claims from Liberal Party president and former prime minister Tony Abbott that multiculturalism has “failed” in Australia.
In a speech posted to social media on Wednesday, Mr Abbott also said diversity was “not a strength,” and accused Muslim leaders of being more interested in “chiding the public” over Islamophobia than condemning the Bondi terror attack, which police allege was motivated by Islamic State ideology.
Senator Bragg told the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday the comments did not reflect the feelings of elected Liberal members in Parliament.
“He’s a former prime minister, he is entitled to his views, but I strongly disagree with them,”
Senator Bragg said.
“I think it’s very important as leaders in the parliamentary party that we are clear on what multiculturalism is and how it fits into a liberal framework and modern Australia.”
Mr Abbott was elected unopposed as Liberal Party president in May.
On Thursday, Assistant Multicultural Affairs Minister Julian Hill labelled Mr Abbott’s comments “disgusting” and “demeaning” and said the party had to take responsibility.
“The Liberal Party today can’t distance themselves from this bloke, from these Neanderthal, offensive views. They made him their president,” he said.
“That was a choice they made and it happened only a few months ago.”
Asked if he wanted Mr Abbott’s commentary to stop, Senator Bragg said he was “not his spokesperson”.
“I’d make the point that liberalism has actually created multiculturalism because it creates a framework for people to have freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, and the Liberal Party built modern Australia,” he said.
Hanson comments on transgender people ‘insane’
Senator Bragg also took aim at Pauline Hanson, who said in a speech to a conservative political conference in London that Australia “can’t determine who is a male and female”.
The One Nation leader said Australia was “too stupid” and that common sense had been “pushed to one side” in regards to gender.
Senator Bragg, who has previously voted to grant transgender children access to gender affirming healthcare, said Senator Hanson was going out of her way to make life harder for minorities.
“We have men and women, we have other people, and the reality is that if you want to have a free and fair society … I just don’t accept the view Pauline Hanson expresses that it’s some great risk to Australia,” he said.
“Where there have been issues, they should be addressed. But the idea that there’s a spectre of transgender people taking over Australia, I just think is insane.”
Opposition leader Angus Taylor has vowed to change Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act to include a definition of biological sex after the Federal Court upheld a landmark ruling that the exclusion of a transgender woman from a female-only app was discriminatory.
