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During this morning’s edition of Today, a heated exchange unfolded between Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie and Independent Senator David Pocock concerning a contentious issue.
Senator McKenzie expressed her “serious concerns” about a group of women, alleging that their children have been “already radicalized.” She questioned why the government hadn’t revoked their travel documents on the basis of national security.
She emphasized the need for more clarity regarding how this group would be monitored and the specific locations where they would reside.
On the other side, Senator Pocock acknowledged that the women are Australian citizens, but he stressed that the public expects “the full force of the law” to be applied in this situation.
Pocock pointed out the women were Australian citizens, but that nonetheless the public expected “the full force of the law” to be enacted.
“I think the thing we really have to distinguish between, is grown adults, and children who have had no say in going overseas,” he said.
“Australian children deserve a second chance.”He said it was preferable that the group be in Australia where they could face legal repercussions and de-radicalisation programs, but McKenzie claimed the programs had a low success rate.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, these kids have been radicalised already,” she said.