A Liberal frontbencher says he “strongly disagrees” with former prime minister Tony Abbott’s claim that last year’s Bondi Beach terror attack shows multiculturalism has “failed” in Australia.
In a speech posted on social media this week, the now-Liberal Party president said Australia had welcomed immigrants who did not share the values stated in the citizenship oath.
He said parts of Islam were incompatible with liberal democracies, pointing to the Bondi gunmen who “thought so little of our traditional commitment to freedom of religion”.
“Plainly, multiculturalism has failed and diversity is not our strength when two individuals have so rejected our national ideals,” Mr Abbott said.
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg said on Sunday the comments contradicted the party’s history.
“I don’t agree with that,” he told the ABC, arguing that “liberalism has actually created multiculturalism because it creates a framework for people to have freedom of religion, and freedom of thought, and freedom of conscience”.
“And the Liberal Party built modern Australia – if you look at the Menzies government opening up after the war, the Holt government abolishing parts of the White Australia policy, and then of course Malcolm Fraser’s actions to promote multiculturalism and introduce things like the SBS.
“So we have a very proud record to stand on, and I think it’s very important that we’re clear about that.”
Mr Abbott’s role as Liberal Party president is administrative but he still steers federal campaign messaging.
Senator Bragg said it was “very important that as leaders in the parliamentary party, that we’re clear about what multiculturalism is, and how it fits into a liberal framework, and how it fits into modern Australia”.
“And if people have concerns about certain things in Australia, whether that be around terrorism, forced marriages, other things like that, those are things which are illegal under Australian laws, and those things are not multiculturalism,” he said.
“The great thing about multiculturalism is that you can subscribe to the Australian nation, its laws, and its culture, but you can engage in cultural practices as well.”
Asked if Mr Abbott should “stop saying these things”, Senator Bragg said he was not the former leader’s “spokesperson”.
“He’s a former prime minister. He’s entitled to his views. And I strongly disagree with them,” Senator Bragg said.
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