Politicians condemn senator's threat to 'burn down parliament'

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Senator Lidia Thorpe’s pledge to “burn down Parliament House” has been condemned by senior government figures, who have urged her to “turn down the temperature”.

Thorpe made the inflammatory remark at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne on the weekend.

Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said Thorpe’s comments were “clearly unacceptable”.

Senator Lidia Thorpe speaks at a pro-Palestine rally in August. (Getty)

“I think if fighting can stop in the Middle East, we need to make sure that we are turning the temperature down here at home,” Rishworth told Today.

“And of course, people want to see the end of the violence and they don’t want to see tensions brought here into Australia.”

She said Australians had the right to protest but should not do so in ways that might inflame “hatred and violence”.

Rallygoers march on the weekend. (Getty)

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke made similar comments, including saying that Australians should be able to “lower the temperature”.

“I don’t think the comments were (in the interest of social cohesion), obviously, but I also don’t think us raising the temperature in return does anything other than create a problem that at the moment we have a chance of starting to move away from,” he told the ABC.

“There are two things that Australians want, they’ve wanted the killing to stop and they’ve wanted to make sure that the conflict’s not brought here.

“We have an opportunity now where we may well be seeing both.”