Queensland senator Fraser Anning has reiterated extreme anti-immigration views and refused to apologise for offensive comments he made after the Christchurch terror attack. Key points: Fraser Anning refuses to apologise for linking Christchurch terror attacks to immigration Fraser Anning refuses to apologise for linking Christchurch terror attacks to immigration Politicians from across the political divide have condemned his comments Politicians from across the political divide have condemned his comments The Queensland senator also defended slapping a 17-year-old boy who egged him In a wide-ranging press conference, the ex-One Nation senator cited Nazis, repeated calls for a ban on Muslim immigration and compared hitting the teenager who egged him to trench warfare. He has attracted condemnation from across the political divide after issuing a statement within hours of the mosque attacks linking the shootings at two Christchurch mosques to immigration. Those attacks killed 50 people and have left dozens more injured. Senator Anning's comments prompted a 17-year-old boy to slap an egg on the back of his head during a trip to Melbourne. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 20 seconds 20 s Fraser Anning responds after being egged Police are investigating the incident, including the senator's response. "He got a slap across the face, which is what his mother should have given him long ago, because he's been misbehaving badly," Senator Anning said. "When someone cracks you on the back of the head you react and defend yourself. "That for years is what Australians have been doing. Luckily they did that in the trenches and otherwise we'd all be speaking German now." Senator Anning's comments from Friday have prompted a petition, which has so far attracted more than a million signatures, calling for him to be removed from parliament. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion," he said. "A million people from Australia — I am not sure they are all from Australia — but yes, a million have signed the petition, however quite a lot of people have told us they're happy for me to stay where I'm at." But he refused to say how many people had offered their support, instead saying it was "quite a lot". Censure expected but Parliament cannot expel Anning The houses of Parliament are unable to expel a politician for their behaviour, but an MP or senator can be expelled if they are convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment for a year or longer. The Government and Opposition will join forces to censure him when parliament resumes next month. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has ruled out supporting the censure motion, which is effectively the Parliament saying it disapproves of the actions of an MP. Senator Anning was elected under the One Nation banner but quit the party hours after being sworn in. He later joined Katter's Australian Party but was expelled from the party because of his views on race and immigration. "I hope it's not too painful," Senator Anning said of the censure. "What, is Mr Morrison going to give me a flogging with his lace hanky?"<doc-sep>Scott Morrison has declared there is no place in Parliament for the “disgusting” views of Fraser Anning after the Queensland senator blamed Muslim migration for the massacres at Christchurch mosques on Friday. In a press statement released after it emerged 49 men, women and children were dead after attacks on two mosques on Friday, Senator Anning claimed that “while Muslims may be the victims today, usually they are the perpetrators”. “Worldwide, Muslims are killing people in the name of their faith on an industrial scale,” he said. The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place.” The shocking comments drew immediate condemnation from the Prime Minister and predecessor Malcolm Turnbull. “The remarks by Senator Fraser Anning blaming the murderous attacks by a violent, right-wing, extremist terrorist in New Zealand on immigration are disgusting,” Mr Morrison said. “Those views have no place in Australia, let alone the Australian Parliament.” The remarks by Senator Fraser Anning blaming the murderous attacks by a violent, right-wing, extremist terrorist in New Zealand on immigration are disgusting. Those views have no place in Australia, let alone the Australian Parliament. — Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) March 15, 2019 Earlier, the Prime Minister confirmed than an Australian national had been arrested among the group suspected of plotting and carrying out the attacks. “I can confirm that the individual who was taken into custody, I have been advised, is an Australian-born citizen and obviously that element of the investigation Australian authorities are involved in,” Mr Morrison said. The social media posts including screenshots of Senator Anning’s press statement appeared to have been removed by Twitter last night, but the senator doubled down posting “Does anyone still dispute the link between Muslim migration and violence?” Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the comments were appalling. “Together with Bill Shorten, I and other members condemned Fraser Anning’s appalling maiden speech on August 15 last year. I concluded with a reminder that we must have zero tolerance for hate speech,” he said. “Fraser Anning’s comments today are contemptible. He is a disgrace to the Senate and what is worse by spreading hatred and turning Australians against each other he is doing exactly what the terrorists want,” he tweeted. Fraser Anning’s comments today are contemptible. He is a disgrace to the Senate and what is worse by spreading hatred and turning Australians against each other he is doing exactly what the terrorists want. — Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) March 15, 2019 Senator Anning’s maiden speech including a reference to the “final solution” on immigration. He later claimed that he was unaware this was the official code name for the genocide of the Jews by the Nazis in World War II. In January, Labor called on the federal government to stop accepting Senator Anning’s vote on legislation. It followed revelations he had spent $10,000 in taxpayer funds to attend at least three far-right meetings, including a melbourne rally where protestors made Nazi salutes. The protests were organised by convicted extremist Blair Cottrell, who was banned from Sky News after he was invited on to discuss immigration, sparking a huge backlash after it emerged he had previously expressed his admiration for Hitler. In a statement, Labor leader Bill Shorten said any attack on a religion was an attack on all religions. “Australia and New Zealand are family and we grieve with our brothers and sisters today,” he said. While families in Christchurch mourn for loved ones they’ve lost, an obscure Australian Senator saw this act of terrorism and tragedy as an opportunity to blame the murder victims. — Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) March 15, 2019 “Attacks such as this are designed to spread fear and sow division. So too is the footage the terrorists have sought to circulate online. We echo the words of the New Zealand police: do not share this footage, do not watch it. Do not do anything to normalise or validate this inhuman act of evil.”<doc-sep>Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the “full force of the law” should be applied to Queensland Senator Fraser Anning for assaulting a 17-year-old boy who cracked an egg on his head. And New Zealand’s high commissioner to Australia, Dame Annette King, has condemned Anning’s words and says she is “absolutely delighted” he has been condemned by Australia’s government and people too. Ms King held a press conference in Canberra on Sunday morning to announce a vigil on Tuesday night in the nation’s capital. It follows Friday’s horrific massacres in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, allegedly perpetrated by a far-right extremist from Australia. Within hours of the massacres, Senator Anning issued a statement saying the “real cause” of the bloodshed was New Zealand’s immigration program, implicitly blaming the victims for their own deaths. He was widely condemned for his comments, including by Morrison and Labor leader Bill Shorten. On Saturday, Anning then flew to Melbourne to join a far-right rally. While he was giving a press conference there, a 17-year-old boy who had sneaked into the event cracked an egg on Anning’s head as a form of political protest. WATCH THE INCIDENT IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE Video footage shows Anning retaliating quickly by striking the teen twice in the face, before his own adviser, Boston White, dragged him away. A number of Anning’s supporters – including convicted criminal Neil Erikson – then grabbed the teen by the throat and threw him to the ground, and held him in a choke hold until police arrived. Play Video Teenage boy Will Connolly speaks after he was attacked following cracking an egg on Senator Fraser Anning's head. Teenage boy Will Connolly speaks after he was attacked following cracking an egg on Senator Fraser Anning's head. The Melbourne teen, Will Connolly - dubbed “egg boy” on social media – was arrested but later released without charge. Connolly later posted a video to twitter revealing himself as the “Egg Boy”. “Don't egg politicians, you get tackled by thirty bogans at the same time, I learnt the hard way," he said in his video. Mr Morrison said on Sunday that Anning should be punished for his alleged assault of the teen. “I think the full force of the law should be applied to Senator Anning,” Mr Morrison said. Sydney lawyer Adam Houda has offered to represent the teen for free if he decides to press charges against Anning and Anning’s entourage. Dame Annette King was asked on Sunday if there was a chance New Zealand-Australia relations could be damaged by the fact that the alleged murderer was Australian. Ms King said she didn’t believe so. “He does not represent Australia. He does not represent New Zealand. He is an individual and that is how we see it and so what you should judge our relationship by is what has happened after the event, and the relationship is strong,” she said. “We have heard from so many Australians who want to help who see us as their brothers and sisters.” Asked if she thought Anning was fit to be a Senator, she said that was up to Australians. “We just condemn what he said and I’m absolutely delighted that his comments were condemned from the very top of Government here in Australia, and by the people of Australia,” she said. Meanwhile, the largest Change.org petition in Australia’s history is currently underway, with over 797,500 people signing a petition to remove Senator Anning from parliament. The petition states: “Senator Fraser Anning has no place in the government of our democratic and multicultural country. We request that he be expelled from his position as Senator, and investigated by law enforcement agencies for supporting right wing terrorism.” Sally Rugg, the executive director of Change.org Australia, said it could easily reach the million vote mark on Sunday. “For context: @MjwCoach’s Opera House petition was half this size and broke the record at the time,” she tweeted on Sunday.<doc-sep>
Controversial Queensland senator Fraser Anning’s response to the Christchurch mosque shootings has been condemned by multicultural Perth as “completely abhorrent” and “vile”. Amid the immediate fallout of the attacks, Senator Anning issued a racist media release in which he blamed the victims for their own deaths. He also pointed the finger at the immigration program that allowed Muslim people to migrate to New Zealand. “I am utterly opposed to any form of violence within our community, and I totally condemn the actions of the gunman,” Senator Anning said. “However, while this kind of violent vigilantism can never be justified, what it highlights is the growing fear within the community, both in Australia and New Zealand, of the increasing Muslim presence. “The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place.” Notably, Senator Anning made no mention of the Australian attacker, nor of the attacker’s own immigration to New Zealand. The comments were slammed across social media, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison declaring his views had no place in Australia, let along the Australian Parliament. WA Ethnic Communities Council spokesman Suresh Rajan described Senator Anning as a “pathetic creature” who was occupying a Senate seat that should be reserved for a human being. “They are comments that are going to cause greater division, and they have already led to a number of sites – one by the white supremacist movement – praising the actions of the shooter,” Mr Rajan said. “Some of the commentary being made by people is ‘fantastic’, “bring out the garbage bins’ and ‘roll out the garbage from the mosque’ etc. “These are people who have been emboldened by what Fraser Anning is saying. (Senator Anning’s remarks) are giving heart for their positions, but their positions are clearly entirely vile.” Senator Anning’s commentary on race matters has become increasingly shrill as he desperately fights for relevance and voter recognition. He received just 19 first-preference votes to secure the $200,000-a-year Senate spot and is destined for political oblivion at the May election after he severed his ties with One Nation’s Pauline Hanson within hours of being sworn in last year. He was also thrown out of Katter’s Australian Party by maverick Queensland MP Bob Katter following tensions over a speech that linked immigration to Nazi Germany’s “final solution”. Mr Rajan said it appeared Senator Anning was attempting to establish himself as a leader in the white supremacist movement, which could give him another tilt at politics after he loses his Senate seat. “The fact that Bob Katter also threw him out of his party says a lot,” he said.