This is Australian Senator Fraser Anning. This week he has monopolised the national headlines after his maiden speech to Parliament, in which he advocated a strict ban on Muslim immigration, even using the term "final solution," which is of course synonymous with the Holocaust, for reasons including that they are (apparently) coming here just to live off welfare and steal Australians' job, and that all terrorists today are Muslims. Even Pauline Hanson, his former boss who's infamously worn a burqa in Parliament (among other controversies), has publicly claimed he crossed a line, and other politicians and public figures from all sides have condemned him for it.
Now, for research and balance purposes I've just read the full speech, out of context. He was a farmer before entering politics, and roughly the first half of his speech regarded his concerns and ideas for agricultural welfare and productivity. That all added up for me, even if I have no experience living on the land, and I do support it. But then when he turned his focus to immigration, I objectively think his sentiments indeed became as horrible as has been claimed. In addition to perpetuating such negative Islamic stereotypes, he repeatedly emphasised Australia's apparent basis in his own Eurocentric, Christian views and values (while also ignoring the negatives that have been associated with that faith, no less) and made no mention anywhere of even the word "indigenous." Before that, he also lambasted the concept of gender fluidity as garbage considering the fact there are only two genders. Now, yes, there are only two physical genders, but there are not so few gender identities.
Now, for research and balance purposes I've just read the full speech, out of context. He was a farmer before entering politics, and roughly the first half of his speech regarded his concerns and ideas for agricultural welfare and productivity. That all added up for me, even if I have no experience living on the land, and I do support it. But then when he turned his focus to immigration, I objectively think his sentiments indeed became as horrible as has been claimed. In addition to perpetuating such negative Islamic stereotypes, he repeatedly emphasised Australia's apparent basis in his own Eurocentric, Christian views and values (while also ignoring the negatives that have been associated with that faith, no less) and made no mention anywhere of even the word "indigenous." Before that, he also lambasted the concept of gender fluidity as garbage considering the fact there are only two genders. Now, yes, there are only two physical genders, but there are not so few gender identities.
Anning's boss, Katter's Australian Party leader and founder Bob Katter (and I think he should rename his party "Katter's REACTIONARY Australian Party": KRAP), held a press conference on Wednesday to come to Anning's defence. Well, he left that characteristically looking like a hostile rodeo clown. Anyway, I was repulsed when I heard the media reports of Anning's speech, but as I read it just now my anger continued to mount. I hope everybody who supported his Senate candidacy in 2017 (and I'm ashamed to say he's a Senator for my state, Queensland) has reacted similarly and won't give him a second chance.
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