Independent Wentworth MP Allegra Spender has criticised the way immigration is being discussed in Australia, warning that the debate risks being “abused and weaponised” by politicians.
“Just a few days ago, President Trump made false claims on immigration to the United Nations, and last week white nationalists, encouraged by Elon Musk, took to the streets of the United Kingdom to stoke division and conflict,” Spender said in a statement.
She highlighted Australia’s multicultural reality: “Australia is a nation where half the population was either born overseas or had at least one parent born overseas.”
“I don’t want to see conflict encouraged here, but already we’ve seen neo-Nazi organised anti-immigration rallies.”
Spender also drew a parallel between Liberal MP Andrew Hastie’s comments and historical rhetoric. “Yesterday Andrew Hastie used words that echoed those of English white nationalist Enoch Powell and his infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech. Powell told the 1968 Conservative Party conference that white British people found themselves ‘made strangers in their own country’ and yesterday Andrew Hastie repeated very similar words in relation to migration numbers when he said ‘we’re starting to feel like strangers in our own home.’”
Spender said her own background made her sensitive to the debate. “I may look like an Anglo-Australian of generations, but I am proudly half ‘wog’ as we used to be called when I was a child.”
“My mum taught me to stand up for myself and multiculturalism… No Australian can make me feel like a stranger in my country.”
She called for respectful, fact-based discussion on migration: “Words matter. The cohesion of our society matters.”
“We must have a fact-based and respectful discussion on immigration policy… Every public policy matter needs to be able to be discussed. But how that discussion is conducted matters.”
The statement prompted a strong response from Senator Jacinta Price, who said on Facebook that she “entirely disagrees” with Spender but welcomed her contribution.
“Concerns about mass migration are not from a fringe movement. They are grassroots issues driven by Canberra’s failures,” Price wrote.
“This is a national conversation our country must have. Many Australians are struggling under the cost of living, locked out of home ownership, and burdened by the pressures of mass migration.”
Price defended those who took part in a recent August rally. “Thousands of Australians, from all backgrounds, peacefully marched. They waved our national flag, sang our national anthem, and expressed their love for our country.”
“Many marched because they have legitimate concerns about Labor’s mass migration agenda and its effects on housing, infrastructure, essential services, and social cohesion.”
She also criticised Spender for labelling the marches as “neo-Nazi organised anti-immigration rallies.”
“Their objective is clear: to impugn the motives of those who marched and delegitimise the reasonable concerns that millions of Australians have about mass migration.”
Price stressed that Australia has welcomed millions of migrants, but warned of those unwilling to embrace Australian values: “We must wake up to the fact that there are people in our country today who do not want to change for Australia, but want Australia to change for them…”
“Our culture, our values, and our way of life are worth remembering, protecting, and defending. And that’s what I will always fight for.”
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