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Independent MP Allegra Spender has accused Coalition frontbencher Andrew Hastie of using language that echoes white supremacist rhetoric in his social media posts calling for reduced immigration, sparking fresh tensions over how Australia debates migration policy.
Spender told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing Wednesday that Hastie’s statement that Australians are “starting to feel like strangers in our own home” mirrors language from Enoch Powell’s infamous 1968 “Rivers of Blood” speech, widely considered one of Britain’s most divisive political addresses on race and immigration.
“Enoch Powell, who was a white supremacist in Britain, in his famous Rivers of Blood speech used the expression, you know, we’re starting to, you know, that people were made strangers in their own country,” Spender said. “And this language from Andrew Hastie certainly reflects either intentionally or unintentionally some of the language of that very famous speech.”
The controversy erupted after Hastie, the Coalition’s immigration spokesman, posted on social media this week calling for lower immigration levels, with one post titled “The real reason you can’t afford a home.”
Hastie was invited to appear on the program but was not available for comment.
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Call for Careful Language
Spender, who represents the Sydney seat of Wentworth, said Australia needs to handle immigration debates with extreme care given the country’s multicultural makeup.
“I think we need to have in this country, a country that is built on migrants, where half the country is either a migrant or has a parent who was a migrant, we have to be really, really careful about how we have discussions on migration,” she said.
The independent MP emphasized that while immigration policy discussions are legitimate, the language used matters significantly.
“So I think we should have discussions on migration. It’s a really important part of public policy, but how we do it is important,” Spender said.
She warned that divisive rhetoric on immigration could push Australia toward the kind of ugly debates seen in other Western nations.
“This idea of strangers from where we belong, people are stopping us feeling at home, that’s actually a very negative and very, I think, potentially very divisive language about migration, which we don’t need in this country if we’re going to have a thoughtful debate and going to avoid some of the extremes that we’re seeing, you know, in many other countries around the world, including the US and the UK, where those sorts of migration debates are going quite ugly at times,” she said.
Hastie Defends Position
Hastie told Sydney radio station 2GB Wednesday morning that he is simply articulating views widely held in the community and wants to represent “the natural constituency of the centre-right.”
The Coalition has made reducing immigration a central policy plank, arguing that high migration levels contribute to housing unaffordability and infrastructure strain.
Spender questioned whether the evidence supports that claim, particularly Hastie’s framing that migration is “the real reason you can’t afford a home.”
“That is, you know, the real reason you can’t afford a home is apparently growth in migration. So, again, that’s a pretty incendiary term, right?” she said. “And then you have to look at the evidence and say, really, does that back it up? And I think that the evidence doesn’t really back that up.”
COVID-Era Housing Data
Spender cited housing price data from the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence that immigration alone does not drive affordability issues.
“Let’s look at the time during COVID, for example. That’s where we saw some of our fastest house price growth around, I think, 20% or over 20% in some cases. That’s when our borders were closed and where we had absolutely no migration,” she said.
She argued that housing affordability has deteriorated over 25 years, not just the recent period of higher migration.
“I’ve got to say, I think you’re in a situation where we’ve had unaffordable housing or housing becoming more unaffordable for the last 25 years. It’s not just the last two years. So I don’t think he’s made the case on the basis of the evidence available,” Spender said.
While acknowledging that recent migration might impact rental markets, she said linking it to house prices represents “a very, you know, it’s a long bow to draw.”
Leadership Responsibility
Spender emphasized that political leaders have a responsibility to provide evidence-based guidance on complex policy issues rather than simply reflecting community sentiment.
“It’s okay and you should reflect the concerns of your community, but part of the job is also to lead the community, provide evidence around, you know, whether the community’s instinct are right on this, and also do this in a way that is responsible and supports the cohesiveness of this country as well,” she said.
She warned that failure to maintain responsible debate could lead to violence and social division.
“We don’t want a migration debate that descends into anger and violence in ways that we have seen overseas. And that is up to all Australians, and particularly Australian leaders, to preserve that,” Spender said.
Coalition Form on Migration
Spender suggested the Coalition has developed a pattern of alienating migrant communities, making Hastie’s language particularly problematic given his portfolio responsibilities.
“The coalition has form at the moment of really alienating parts of the migration of the sort of migrant community in australia and so i think they particularly given his portfolio he needs to really be careful in this space,” she said.
When asked whether Hastie’s views resonate with constituents in Wentworth, a seat the Liberals held for decades before losing to independents, Spender acknowledged immigration is a topic of conversation.
“I think there is a question in a bunch of people’s heads on migration levels and whether they’re the right levels. I think that’s absolutely appropriate. As I said, that’s an appropriate area of public conversation,” she said.
However, she stressed the importance of honesty in these discussions.
“There is a responsibility of all leaders, including myself and others, to be honest about the numbers and honest about what are the drivers of challenges in, for instance, in house prices,” Spender said.
Critique of Opposition Direction
Asked about Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s performance, Spender called for the Coalition to return to traditional values associated with seats like Wentworth.
“I think it’s a tough job. And I really honestly wish that the coalition would get back to, you know, the sort of traditional values of the area that I represent, which has, you know, until myself and Karen Phelps before me, was liberal since the beginning,” she said.
Spender outlined three areas where she believes the Coalition is failing to meet community expectations.
“We want just environmental policy that is aligned with the science and the economics. Please, Coalition, get serious about net zero. And this is where Susan Lee should be leading,” she said.
She also criticized mixed messaging on economic policy and questioned the Coalition’s direction on social cohesion.
“This community explicitly tells me they want a kinder, more inclusive community. And I think, again, where is the coalition going in relation to this, particularly in this sort of work on terms of blaming migrants, you know, for many issues in this country, because that is... It is a dangerous place to play,” Spender said.
Palestine Recognition Response
On the Prime Minister’s formal recognition of Palestine announced at the United Nations, Spender said her constituents, including significant Jewish and non-Jewish populations, share a desire for lasting peace in the region.
“Talking to the community, and it’s as my community, you know, both the Jewish community and the non-Jewish community, you know, do have diverse views. But I think there is a real sense that people want peace in the region and people want permanent peace,” she said.
She outlined the immediate priorities as constituents see them.
“They want a ceasefire. They want the hostages home. But they want a path to permanent peace,” Spender said.
The independent MP expressed support for a two-state solution as the path forward.
“I do believe that means two states, an Israeli, an Israel state, which is a Jewish state, and a Palestinian state, living side by side in security,” she said.
Spender described the current focus as twofold: “How can you both alleviate the incredible suffering right now, which I think is quite horrific, but also get to a permanent peace over the long term.”
Powell’s 1968 “Rivers of Blood” speech, delivered while he was a Conservative MP, predicted violent conflict in Britain due to immigration from Commonwealth countries. The speech, named for Powell’s reference to the River Tiber “foaming with much blood,” led to his dismissal from the shadow cabinet and remains controversial decades later.
The speech’s central theme was that immigration was fundamentally changing British society and that native Britons were becoming “strangers in their own country” — the phrase Spender identified in Hastie’s post.
Political analysts have long studied the speech’s impact on British politics and how language around immigration can inflame social tensions.
Broader Immigration Debate
The exchange between Spender and the characterization of Hastie’s comments reflects broader tensions in Australian politics over how to discuss migration policy in an increasingly diverse nation.
Recent census data shows that nearly half of Australians are either born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas, making careful language around immigration politically sensitive.
The Coalition has positioned immigration reduction as a solution to housing affordability, infrastructure strain and cost-of-living pressures, arguing that population growth has outpaced the country’s capacity to provide adequate housing and services.
Labor has reduced immigration levels from pandemic-era highs but maintains that migration remains important for economic growth and addressing skills shortages.
The debate occurs against a backdrop of housing crisis in major cities, with both rental and purchase affordability at historic lows relative to incomes.
Spender’s intervention represents an attempt by the crossbench to police the boundaries of acceptable political discourse on immigration, warning against rhetoric that could undermine social cohesion in a multicultural society.
The controversy highlights ongoing challenges for political leaders in addressing legitimate policy concerns about population growth and housing while avoiding language that stigmatizes migrant communities or evokes historical examples of racist political rhetoric.
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