Today in Parliament, Abigail condemned the Albanese Labor Government for waging a propaganda war to hide the appalling cruelty of Australia's asylum seeker policy in light of the war in Iran.
Abigail said:
Some 25 years ago, in the spring of 2001, in the waters north of Christmas Island, a series of events unfolded that would reshape Australian politics and our refugee policy into one characterised by division, hatred and cruelty. In August 2001 the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa rescued over 430 asylum seekers, mostly Hazara Afghans, from a sinking boat, only for the Howard Government to deploy Special Air Service troops to storm the vessel and deny every one of them permission to set foot on Australian soil. Five weeks later, in the children overboard affair, the Government falsely claimed that refugees aboard another stricken vessel had deliberately thrown their own children into the sea. That accusation was designed to demonise some of the most vulnerable people on earth.
These events fuelled an election campaign infused with racism and heralded a regime of boat turnbacks, offshore detention and heavily militarised responses to people seeking asylum. This hardline turn was adopted by both major political parties and remains a feature of Australian policy to this day, with politicians continuing to stoke division and demonise those seeking humanitarian assistance, for political advantage. Government policies have only hardened since. We are seeing that once again today, in the context of the illegal war being waged on Iran. Like Howard's infamous lies, the Albanese Labor Government is waging a propaganda war to hide the appalling cruelty of Australia's asylum seeker policy. We need look no further than the breathless coverage of the Iranian women soccer players who sought asylum.
The Australian media and political class were quick to hold this up as an example of Australia acting as a benevolent force, protecting Iranian people from war and oppression back home. Yet, at the exact same time, on the very same day, Australia showed its true policy towards the people of Iran by announcing its intention to block nearly 7,000 Iranian citizens already granted visitor visas from entering the country. What an appalling act of cruelty and disgusting display of hypocrisy that is, to provide rhetorical and military support for an illegal war raining bombs on Iranian civilians, then seek credit for granting protection to a handful of high-profile individuals while slamming the door on thousands more seeking the same safety.
Refugee support services around Australia have reported a surge in distressed asylum seekers and refugees, shaken by the hypocrisy of a government sparing high-profile sports stars from returning to a dangerous country while insisting that others must go back or cannot enter. I believe in an Australia that is big enough, generous enough and kind enough to open our arms to those asking for help. I believe that Australians, in the absence of politicking and xenophobic media scare campaigns, agree with The Greens in recognising seeking asylum as a humanitarian issue, not one of border security or defence, and that people seeking asylum must be treated with compassion, as our equals in rights and dignity. That is not a radical position; it is the bare minimum demanded of us by our collective humanity.
Read the transcript in Hansard here.
18 March 2026