Australian senator egged after racist comments following New Zealand mosque terror attacks

Published
75
An unnamed young man threw an egg at Anning during a press conference in Melbourne, prompting the senator to hit him in the face repeatedly before being stopped by what appeared to be a security guard.  — AP
An unnamed young man threw an egg at Anning during a press conference in Melbourne, prompting the senator to hit him in the face repeatedly before being stopped by what appeared to be a security guard. — AP

A far-right Australian senator had to be restrained by security officials on Saturday after punching a young man protesting his offensive comments about the Christchurch mosque terror attacks.

Queensland Senator Fraser Anning drew international condemnation for his efforts to blame the attack that killed 49 worshippers on immigration.

Amid the controversy, an unnamed young man threw an egg at Anning during a press conference in Melbourne, prompting the senator to hit him in the face repeatedly before being stopped by what appeared to be a security guard.

In a statement on Friday, Anning had said the attack which killed 49 worshippers in the southern New Zealand city was the result of Muslim immigration into the country.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Anning's comments as "appalling" and "ugly" with "no place in Australia", as he announced a bipartisan motion of censure would be launched.

Anning was elected in 2017 by a fluke of Australia's proportional voting system, having received only 19 first preference votes.

He is unlikely to be reelected when Australians go to the polls in a vote expected this May.

Opinion

Editorial

Genuine governance
Updated 10 Aug, 2026

Genuine governance

ON the surface, the Punjab cabinet’s decision to allocate funds for local government elections is a welcome step...
Failed by the state
10 Aug, 2026

Failed by the state

THE 1,914 cases of child abuse across Pakistan in the first six months of 2026 should spark outrage. The figure ...
HIV crisis
10 Aug, 2026

HIV crisis

PAKISTAN’s presence among countries with the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in Asia is a matter of shame. Globally,...
Makkah agreement
Updated 09 Aug, 2026

Makkah agreement

IN the midst of a gruelling war between the US and Iran — currently at a stalemate — the signing of the Makkah...
Conflicting priorities
09 Aug, 2026

Conflicting priorities

THERE is a reasonable argument that the democratic process must go on regardless of prevailing conditions; that...
FIFA controversy
09 Aug, 2026

FIFA controversy

FIFA PRESIDENT Gianni Infantino is at the centre of a storm of his own making. Even after a crisis meeting in...