Sign up now
Australia Shopping Network. It's All About Shopping!
Categories

Posted: 2017-11-23 04:45:31

Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm will host a question and answer session with Milo Yiannopoulos at Parliament House when the controversial alt-right figure tours Australia next month.

Senator Leyonhjelm told Hack that he was taking the opportunity of Milo's tour to bring him to Parliament in order for people "to hear from him there and put their questions to him".

Last year, universities in the US cancelled speaking events hosted by the far-right commentator because of security concerns. Protesters lit fires and smashed windows when he was due to speak at a Californian university earlier this year.

The venues for his Australian tour are a closely guarded secret, with attendees only being told where they've got to go a week before the talk.

But Senator Leyonhjelm does not believe Milo's attendance at Parliament House will pose a security risk.

"I know some of our media are highly opinionated, but I don't think they are a threat to security," he said.

Not everyone was as excited about the Parli talk. Greens Senator Janet Rice asked why such a polarising figure should be given a platform.

No requests for extra security

It's up to senators and MPs to work out if they need special arrangements for any events they hold at Parliament House.

The ABC understands that no requests for extra security for the Milo event were made to the Usher of the Black Rod (the guy with the long staff who opens Parliament), whose job is to keep order in the Senate.

Hack has asked the Australian Federal Police - who coordinate external protection for the big house - for comment.

We also put in requests with both the President of the Senate, Scott Ryan, and the Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services to find out if either of them were approached about the event.

Both came back with a "no comment".

"It is a long standing practice that the President does not comment on the security matters of Parliament House", a spokesman for Scott Ryan told Hack.

A history of controversial statements

Milo used to be the editor of far-right website Breitbart, an organisation run by US President Donald Trump's former Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon.

The website has been criticised for peddling falsehoods and conspiracy theories, and pushing a neo-Nazi, alt-right agenda.

Milo was forced to resign from Breitbart after a video emerged of him endorsing paedophilia.

The British-born commentator has called feminism "a cancer" and was kicked off Twitter for a campaign against a female African-American Ghostbusters star, Leslie Jones.

Despite being openly gay, Milo has slammed gay rights and told LGBTI people "get back in the closet".

View More
  • 0 Comment(s)
Captcha Challenge
Reload Image
Type in the verification code above