Source : Perth Now news
Angus Taylor has conceded there are “some things” he might agree on with Pauline Hanson, as he urges for immigration reform around so-called Australian values.
The One Nation leader is expected to speak outside parliament house in Canberra on Sunday for the Rally To End Mass Immigration.
On Sunday morning, members of the public were seen erecting Australian flags and flag-themed posters under a heavy police presence outside parliament.
Speaking on ABC, Mr Taylor was asked about Senator Hanson’s strong anti-immigration stance.
“Well, some things we might agree on,” he said.
“I’m sure there’s things we don’t agree on.
“But, I’ll tell you what, where I start on this is migration numbers in this country have been too high and standards have been too low.”
Mr Taylor has pushed for a rethink of Australia’s migration system that will “put Australian values … at the heart of our immigration legislation”.
That would include “putting up a red light to radicals”.
Mr Taylor denied people arriving from countries such as China and Vietnam would fit in better than migrants from the United Kingdom.
“Many good people come from bad countries, let’s be clear,” he said.
“Some of the great Australians have come from countries that were bad countries at the time.”
However, Mr Taylor said there was “a higher risk that some bad people come from those bad countries”.
“So, what we have to do is we have to screen, not based on country, not based on religion, not based on race, but based on values.”
Pressed on whether China – the world’s biggest jailer of journalists and biggest user of the death penalty – was a bad country, Mr Taylor said “we’ve seen bad countries around the world.
“To claim that Iran is a good country right now. Seriously?
“The government itself has put legislation in place to make it harder for people to come from Iran.”
Mr Taylor repeated his criticism of refugees from Gaza, saying there were “terrible acts of acrocity” coming from the war-ravaged enclave.
It comes as One Nation stands poised to take the NSW seat of Farrer from the Liberals after the resignation of former leader Sussan Ley.
Mr Taylor brushed off the Coalition’s decision to preference the One Nation candidate over Climate 200-backed Michelle Milthorpe.
He said the party was nonetheless seeking first preferences and had put the Nationals Party second.
Asked if One Nation was an existential threat, he said: “Teal policies, Labor policies are absolutely existential for the regions”.
“If you get out into these regions, you see what it’s doing to them.
“I mean, right now, people are scared about getting access to the diesel they need to plant their crops, to run the trucks that are so crucial for those regional areas.”
