Q: Do you think, Donald Trump is a dealmaker, do you think Australia will have to do anything in exchange for getting this? And did your Manager of Opposition Business go too far during Question Time yesterday?

Peter Dutton:

I’ll deal with the last part first. The claim yesterday by somebody who has been largely absent from the public debate on anti-Semitism over the last 15 months but somehow the Coalition is politicising the issue of anti-Semitism is a disgraceful slur.

The speaker before he was monstered by the Prime Minister and Tony Burke asked for that to be withdrawn* and it should have been because it was outrageous. It is completely without foundation.

I think that is important point and as a result of that it would require a response that was entirely appropriate and proportionate. I won’t stand being accused of that, we supported the Jewish community, have sent you before I have the same stance in relation to any other element of society is being targeted in the way the Jewish community is. I don’t tolerate racism or that intolerance on any basis*, not on religion or somebody’s background, not on the heritage. On no basis whatsoever.

* Milton Dick misunderstood what the Coalition were asking for at first, and thought Mark Dreyfus had made an unparliamentary remark across the chamber. There was also confusion over whether or not it was the term ‘disgusting’ that the Coalition wanted withdrawn (it wasn’t). In the end Dreyfus was not asked to withdraw the claim, which Labor MPs and some within the Jewish community have repeatedly made – that the Coalition is politicising anti-Semitism for its own political gain.

**Accused refugees of ‘trying on’ rape allegations in order to receive abortion health care in Australia. Claimed people in Melbourne were afraid to go out to restaurants because of ‘African gangs’. Wanted a special visa for white south African farmers. Claimed Palestinians fleeing Israel’s invasion of Gaza who applied for Australian visas were “a national security risk”. Boycotted the National Apology to the Stolen Generations.

Q: What do you think the Prime Minister and his governments next move should be in negotiations?

Dutton:

“It should be continued dialogue and we should be doing everything we can through the relationships we have into the administration to try and see a reversal in the executive order, we should be talking to those with expertise in the relationship and those who understand the Trump Administration well. I think the Prime Minister deserves support in whatever measure is reasonably being taken to see a reversal in the tariff and we would support those measures.“