Tony Burke, the Home Affairs Minister, has criticised Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's desire to recall parliament to debate anti-terrorism legislation.
As a result of the alleged waving of Hezbollah flags at rallies at the weekend, Dutton is calling for parliament to be recalled to pass laws addressing the issue.
Burke told ABC RN: "He didn’t say we should recall the parliament so that we could get our housing legislation through. He didn’t say we should move quickly in the parliament to get cheaper childcare, cheaper medicines or anything done … If you were going to recall the parliament, you’d be doing it to do something on cost of living, and we’ve got the legislation in front of parliament right now to try to get more people into houses, and Peter Dutton and the Greens are voting together to prevent that from happening."
Burke said Dutton supported these laws when they were passed a year ago, arguing that Dutton wanted to recall parliament for two reasons: first: “any chance he gets to not talk about cost of living, he wants to take it”, and second: "With Dutton, it remains the case that no matter how many times our security agencies say we need to lower the temperature in Australia, he wants to raise the temperature every single time.
"He doesn’t want to recall parliament because he wants to change laws that he supported a year ago, he wants to recall parliament because he wants to throw more kerosene on the fire and get people angrier with each other and say more outrageous things in the parliament. That’s what it’s about. It’s nothing to do with Australia."
Dutton later told Sky: “Enforcement of the law is required. And if there are laws that need to be passed to make sure that our values are upheld and the prime minister should be doing that.”
Burke had told ABC Radio on Tuesday: “I don't want the anger and hatred from around the world being imported into Australia.”
"We do have a higher standard in Australia if you're on a visa, as to what's expected. If you're on a visa in anyone's country, you're there as a guest ... and inciting discord is a reason for me to refuse visas."