Liberals in damage control as senior MP distances himself from party president Tony Abbott’s fresh claims about multiculturalism: ‘I don’t agree’
Senior Liberal frontbencher Andrew Bragg has publicly distanced himself from controversial remarks made by Liberal Party president Tony Abbott, declaring he ‘strongly’ disagrees with the claim that multiculturalism has failed.
Speaking on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday, the NSW senator made a clear distinction between Abbott’s comments and the Liberal Party’s support for multiculturalism.
Abbott earlier this week released a video on social media arguing that ‘multiculturalism has failed, and diversity is indeed not our strength’, linking his criticism to recent terrorism incidents, antisemitism and social cohesion concerns.
Asked by host Patricia Karvelas if Abbott was right, Bragg immediately rejected the proposition.
‘I don’t agree with that,’ he said.
Bragg contended multiculturalism was rooted in liberal values and has been advanced by successive Liberal governments.
‘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,’ he said.
‘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 SBS.’
Andrew Bragg (pictured) distanced himself from Abbott’s definition of multiculturalism
‘We have a very proud record to stand on, and I think it’s very important that we’re clear about that.’
Karvelas pressed Bragg on whether Abbott’s intervention was helpful given his new role as party president and the divisive nature of the comments.
Abbott’s video argued Australia should ‘celebrate diversity less and unity more’, claiming migrants should integrate more fully into Australian society.
He also questioned whether multiculturalism had encouraged migrants to retain cultural practices at the expense of national cohesion.
While acknowledging concerns about issues such as terrorism and forced marriage, Bragg stressed those matters should not be conflated with multiculturalism itself.
‘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.
When Karvelas suggested such issues were increasingly being framed as consequences of multiculturalism, Bragg warned against drawing that connection.
‘They’re very different things,’ he said.
Patrica Karvelas (pictured) pushed Andrew Bragg on whether Abbott’s comments were helpful
‘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.’
He added that acts of violence or criminal behaviour should not be viewed as representative of multicultural Australia.
‘That is not a reflection, or in no way similar to the issues that have been flagged, which are very serious issues around where certain parts of the community have engaged in violence against other parts of the community, or have sought to do things which are illegal, such as forced marriages,’ he said.
Karvelas repeatedly questioned whether Abbott’s intervention risked undermining Bragg’s message.
The senator stopped short of directly criticising Abbott’s decision to release the video but again made clear he disagreed with its central argument.
‘He’s a former prime minister, he’s entitled to his views, and I strongly disagree with them,’ Bragg said.
Daily Mail understands a growing number of Liberal MPs are becoming frustrated with Abbott’s repeated public interventions, arguing party policy is determined by the federal parliamentary party room, not the party president.
Tony Abbott (pictured) released a video declaring that multiculturalism had failed in Australia
In June, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor and Nationals Leader Matt Canavan rejected Hanson’s call for Australia to become a ‘monoculture’, despite Abbott backing the idea.
‘Australia has a Celtic culture, we have a foundational Judeo-Christian ethos. That should never change,’ Abbott told Sky News.
‘Migrants choose Australia precisely because they like what they see and if we change ourselves to suit the migrants, we’re actually letting them down as well as ourselves.’
Abbott, who was elected Federal Liberal Party president earlier this year in what’s largely an organisational and administrative role, has nevertheless remained a vocal contributor to debates on immigration, multiculturalism and social policy.
