Following an interview with ABC Radio Canberra breakfast on 28 May 2024, the ABC has regrettably misrepresented my comments on the alarming rise of antisemitism on university campuses.
A subsequent ABC online report on 29 May 2024 entitled “A Liberal senator has claimed Australia has no issue with Islamophobia, Canberra’s Nazmul Hasan disagrees” did not accurately convey the substance of my interview.
On 28 May 2024, I announced in a media release with the Shadow Minister for Immigration and the Shadow Minister for Home Affairs that a Coalition Government will use provisions of the Migration Act (the Act) to cancel the visas of any student protestors found to be involved in spreading antisemitism or supporting terrorism.
Section 501 of the Act gives the Ministers the power to do so if visa holders show contempt or disregard for the law or human rights, including terrorist activities and political extremism, and for vilifying a segment of the Australian community or inciting discord in Australia. Section 116 of the Act provides powers to cancel the visa of any person who is or may be a risk to the health, safety or good order of the Australian community or segment of the Australian community.
During this radio interview, noting there are broad general powers to cancel visas in the Act, I was asked if the Coalition was proposing to cancel visas for acts of Islamophobia on university campuses.
ABC host: Are you also proposing identical action to students who might commit acts of Islamophobia?
Senator Henderson: No, we’re not. We are proposing that … because, frankly, there is no issue with Islamophobia.
ABC host: Sorry no issue on university campuses or in society with Islamophobia?
Senator Henderson: No, there is no issue with Islamophobia.
In the context of our visa cancellation announcement, I explained the Coalition rejected attempts to draw a false equivalence between the alarming rise in antisemitism on university campuses and other forms of racism such as Islamophobia.
I went on to say: “So, we have announced a very strong response to acts of antisemitism if we are elected. Now, certainly, if there was evidence of a huge spike in any other form of hate speech or vilification or intimidation on university campuses, we would also consider that. But let’s not draw a false equivalence, Adam, between, any other form of intimidation and harassment and vilification, and antisemitism.”
On ABC Radio Canberra Drive on 29 May 2024, I rejected the ABC’s attempts to mischaracterise comments I made the previous day:
ABC host: Senator Henderson, you were on our radio station yesterday morning chatting with Adam Shirley, on the breakfast show about the plan or the Coalition plan that you would cancel the student visas of any students who were taking part in antisemitic protests or anything like that that happened on their campus. Now, during that interview, Adam asked you would the same apply for people who are displaying Islamophobia and I think that I don’t want to put words in your mouth but you suggested that this wasn’t an issue. That’s caused a bit of a brouhaha and in fact, this morning Adam had a guest on Nazmul Hussain, who is a multicultural community champion here in the ACT who was saying Islamophobia is definitely a real issue. It’s a real thing that that Islamists have to deal with every day. Why isn’t your policy covering both? Why just focus on antisemitic behaviour?
Senator Henderson: So, the Coalition is responding to an alarming increase in antisemitism at university campuses. And when I was asked about this yesterday on radio, I was concerned that as the government has been doing, there should be no false equivalence between antisemitism and Islamophobia. I’m not saying there are not incidents of racism, including against Muslims in the community and including on university campuses. But we have seen a shocking increase in antisemitism and that’s why the Coalition has announced this very important policy, that we will cancel these visas of international students involved in antisemitic conduct.
ABC host: So why not extend it, Senator Henderson? It’s no harm is it to extend it to all forms of racism? Why just single out one form? I mean, racism in all forms is abhorrent. So why not just make it one policy, anybody on any campus who engages in any racist behaviour should have their visa cancelled? I think you’d get broad support for that.
Senator Henderson: Racism is abhorrent. And there is a broad power in the Migration Act to cancel someone’s visa on a range of different conduct. So, if a visa holder shows contempt or disregard for the law or human rights or is involved in terrorist activities, or political extremism, or vilifying a segment of the Australian community or even inciting discord. So that general power is already there. And as I also indicated in the radio interview I did yesterday morning, if there was an alarming increase in other forms, of discrimination or racism, then we would adjust our position accordingly. We’ve made our announcement, the UK also announced this policy because of what’s happening currently. And we’re not ruling anything out in the future, but we are responding to the current circumstances at Australian universities, and I do have to say I really reject any argument that there is some sort of equivalence between antisemitism and any other form of racism, including Islamophobia, at the moment on Australian university campuses, because that is simply not the case.
The number of antisemetic incidencts and activities on univeristy campuses is unprecedented.