Independent Senator Condemns Anti-Immigration Rallies as 'Totally Unacceptable' After Far-Right Protests
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Independent Senator David Pocock condemned anti-immigration protests that occurred Monday across Australia, describing extremist behavior at rallies attended by prominent politicians as "totally unacceptable" and damaging to migrants nationwide.
Speaking on ABC News Australia, Pocock criticized the rallies that featured far-right extremists and drew political figures including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who attended the Canberra event.
"As a first-generation migrant, I think Australia has benefited so much from migration over the years," Pocock said. "And I think this is really damaging when it comes to the message it's sending to migrants across the country. And some of the slogans and behavior we saw are totally unacceptable."
The former Wallabies captain turned politician used his platform to defend Australia's migration program while criticizing what he described as a lack of sensible parliamentary debate on immigration policy.
Pocock, who represents the Australian Capital Territory, argued that poor government planning around migration has created conditions that extremist groups exploit.
"One of my frustrations has been that there is a real lack of appetite from the parliament to actually have a debate about this in a sensible way and then come up with a plan when it comes to migration and population that actually wards off some of the feelings that, well, there is no plan," he said.
The senator called for comprehensive migration planning that accounts for infrastructure, skills requirements and environmental impacts, criticizing the current Treasury-driven approach of setting what he termed "arbitrary numbers" annually.
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"We're not taking into account the required infrastructure, things like impact on the environment and you know when you don't have a plan you open yourselves up to the kind of things we saw on the weekend," Pocock said.
He proposed that government leaders engage in substantive conversations about migration policy to counter extremist narratives.
"There should be room for a sensible conversation amongst leaders so that when people do raise these things, we can actually say, yes, we have a plan that takes into account infrastructure and skills and all these things," Pocock said. "But currently there really isn't one."
The senator acknowledged Australia's post-COVID migration surge while noting recent downward trends, but emphasized his concern about the absence of long-term strategic planning.
"My concern is that there really isn't a plan," he said. "I would love to see a sensible conversation about it and for the government rather than Treasury just setting some sort of arbitrary number every year to actually say okay well this is how valuable migrants are to this country."
Pocock outlined specific elements he believes should be included in comprehensive migration planning.
"These are the skill areas that we need. This is how we're going to do it over time. This is how we're going to ensure that we're building enough housing, schools, other infrastructure that is required for a growing population," he said.
The Monday protests occurred amid ongoing national debates about migration levels and housing affordability, with various political figures using immigration as a campaign issue.
During the same interview, Pocock addressed other contentious issues, including LGBTQ+ inclusion in professional sports following recent developments in the Australian Football League.
The senator praised former West Coast Eagles footballer Mitch Brown, who recently came out as bisexual, calling it "a really brave move."
"I think this is an opportunity for the AFL to actually have this conversation at clubs across the country," Pocock said. "I think it would have been great to see more clubs acknowledge what he's done and really try and use that to foster a conversation with players."
Drawing from his rugby union experience, Pocock emphasized the importance of creating inclusive sporting environments.
"When I was playing at Rugby Union, the catalyst for some really important conversations at a club level was when a former teammate came out," he said.
The senator criticized what he described as persistent problems with homophobia in Australian contact sports.
"I think sport has a proud history of challenging society to be more inclusive. But I think when it comes to homophobia, clearly the contact football codes in Australia have a long way to go," Pocock said.
He called for leadership from sporting organizations to match broader societal changes on LGBTQ+ inclusion.
"That is about leadership at the top to actually match with, I think, the changes in society we've seen," he said.
On aged care policy, Pocock signaled his intention to challenge the government in the Senate, proposing an amendment to release 20,000 home care packages immediately rather than waiting until November.
"We have 120,000 older Australians waiting for an assessment for a home care package. We've got 87,000-plus who've been assessed and are eligible but aren't getting one," he said.
The senator described the government's aged care approach as inadequate for addressing current wait lists.
"This is no way to treat older Australians. And I think it's something that the government should really come to their senses and actually release 20,000 packages now with the bigger release in November," Pocock said.
The wide-ranging interview highlighted Pocock's positioning as a crossbench senator willing to criticize both government policy and extremist political movements while advocating for evidence-based policy development across multiple portfolios.
His comments on the anti-immigration rallies reflect broader concerns among mainstream politicians about the normalization of far-right messaging in Australian political discourse, particularly regarding migration and multiculturalism.
The senator concluded the interview on a lighter note, expressing confidence in the Canberra Raiders' NRL finals prospects, saying the team would be "trying to put that behind them very quickly and move on to a big final season."
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