One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has extended an offer to Coalition leader Angus Taylor to collaborate on new counter-terrorism legislation that would prevent Australian men with suspected ties to the Islamic State from returning to the country. In a letter to Taylor, Hanson stated her intention to work with the Coalition in both legislative chambers to pass laws that strengthen Australia's ability to block individuals deemed a security risk.
Hanson expressed concern that the current Labor government is not doing enough to prevent the return of 13 Australian men detained in Iraq, who are seeking to be released and return to Australia. Among those detained is Perth-born doctor Tareq Kamleh, who has been described as a former ISIS poster boy. The men have been held in difficult conditions in Baghdad since the fall of ISIS in 2019. Recent reports indicate they are to be questioned by U.S. officials and Iraqi authorities regarding their alleged involvement with the terrorist group.
"This Labor government is doing everything it can to enable these people to return, while telling the Australian people it is powerless to stop them," Hanson wrote, according to The Daily Telegraph. "So here is my offer. One Nation will vote with the Coalition, in both chambers, for legislation that strengthens Australia's counter-terrorism laws to the fullest extent permitted by the Constitution."
Hanson is advocating for stricter laws concerning temporary exclusion orders, terrorism offenses, bail, citizenship, and passports. She emphasized that political differences should be set aside for the sake of national security, stating, "We will support every lawful measure necessary to protect Australians from those who voluntarily joined terrorist organisations overseas."
This outreach comes despite Taylor's recent criticism of One Nation, whom he characterized as offering "an eternity of pain" and being "long on rhetoric but short on substance." He suggested the party's positions are often contradictory and lack clarity.
Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume commented that even with One Nation's support, the Coalition would still require Labor's votes to pass any such legislation, as they lack the necessary numbers on their own. "The problem here, of course, is that it's not One Nation's votes that we need to pass this legislation," Hume said. "And Pauline [Hanson] should know that after 30 years in politics, we simply don't have the numbers."
The Australian government has stated it is providing no assistance to the men detained in Iraq. Health Minister Mark Butler previously confirmed that if any of these individuals were to return to Australia, they would face the full force of the law, including potential charges, similar to what has occurred with women from the group. Butler also noted constitutional limitations on the government's ability to prevent citizens from returning to Australia.