Conservative American commentator Candace Owens has slammed calls for her to be banned from Australia, delivering a 10-word “reality check”.
Her planned tour of Australia and New Zealand in November is now in jeopardy after politicians and organisations rejected her visa application.
A ticket to her shows in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide costs $95, but a VIP dinner with Ms Owens can cost up to $1,500.
Ms. Owens rose to fame during the Trump presidency and drew outrage for her controversial statements on Israel, the Holocaust and LGBTQI issues.
Home Secretary Tony Burke, who has the power to block or refuse a visa, said he would monitor Ms Owens’ application once it was lodged.
“My opposition to anti-Semitism and Islamophobia has always been open,” he said Friday.
Ms Owens has repeatedly criticised the potential ban and doubled down on her attack during her conversation with 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Monday.
“It’s unbelievable that people can be so afraid of just talking and conversing. And the only way we can be free as a society is if we are free to hear ideas and change our minds,” she said.
Far-right American political commentator Candace Owens (pictured) has hit out at Australian politicians and organisations who want to deny her visa to the country
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke (pictured) said on Friday he would personally oversee Ms Owens’ application for a planned tour of her live podcast
‘So I was very surprised when they said, ‘Don’t give her a visa, she’s a bad person.’
Ms. Owens then provided a ten-word “reality check”: “It doesn’t hurt to hear other ideas.”
Ms Owens has previously claimed that Israel was founded by a “cult” and called some of the atrocities during the Holocaust “completely absurd”.
She also targeted minority groups, claiming a link between transgender people, “clinical insanity” and a rise in mass shootings.
The far-right commentator responded on Sunday by accusing the media of portraying her negatively because of what she sees as reasonable political views.
“It was considered ‘extreme’ that I, as a Black woman, did not conform to the Black Lives Matter narrative,” Ms. Owens said in a statement.
‘Instead, I criticized the movement for weaponizing the smear campaign of racism to avoid criticism and celebrate criminality. For my contribution, I was labeled a “black-and-white supremacist.”
“When I took the ‘extreme’ position that forced lockdowns and vaccinations are antithetical to individual freedom and happiness, I was branded ‘dangerously misinformed’ and accused of promoting death.”
Ms. Owens rose to fame during the Trump presidency and has drawn outrage for her controversial comments on Israel, the Holocaust and LGBT issues
She added that the controversy has been exacerbated by clips from her show being taken out of context.
“Anyone who listens to my program, aside from the media segments, knows very well that I love Jewish people,” Ms. Owens said.
“They have always been a huge part of my life and I will continue to use my platform to call out the people and groups who use Jewish suffering and history to cover up their own misconduct.”
Her statement came after she criticized the proposed ban on Saturday, calling it “crazy.”
Independent MP Allegra Spender from Wentworth is among Ms Owen’s critics who have called for the American commentator to be banned from entering the country.
“Ms. Owens is a media provocateur who makes her living by generating controversy, division and hatred. Her denial of the truth about the Holocaust is obscene,” she said.
“We do not need her input into the public debate in Australia, at a time when we need to maintain social cohesion. I welcome the Minister’s call for her visa application to be reviewed.”
Dan Tehan, the Coalition’s immigration spokesman, added: “There is no place in Australia for people who spread hate speech and undermine community cohesion.”
Peter Wertheim, co-director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said Ms Owen’s views meant she failed the character test under the Migration Act.
“At a time when Australian society is under unprecedented pressure, largely as a result of ignorant and malicious comments on social media, the last thing we want to import into our country is a so-called celebrity making racist and intolerant comments about Jews and other vulnerable groups,” he said.
“Our new Immigration Minister now has the opportunity to show the leadership needed to affirm that principle,” he said.
