TV interview with Minister Butler, Sunrise – 24 July 2026

Media event date: 24 July 2026 Date published: 24 July 2026 Media type: General public NATALIE BARR, HOST: Leading news from Canberra this morning, Pauline Hanson has challenged the Opposition Leader to work with her to stop 13 ISIS fighters from returning to Australia, promising her party's support to strengthen our counterterrorism laws to the, quote: fullest extent permitted by the Constitution.

The One Nation leader wrote a letter to Angus Taylor this morning, pushing for tougher laws around temporary exclusion orders, terrorism offences, bail, citizenship and passports. Let's bring in Health Minister Mark Butler and Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume. Morning to both of you.

Jane, let's start with you. Pauline wants to work with you, but the Government has long said they are already doing everything possible that they can to block the return of these 13 ISIS fighters. Are you saying tougher legislation is possible?

JANE HUME, DEPUTY OPPOSITION LEADER: Well, let's be clear here Nat, the Coalition has led the fight against bringing these ISIS sympathisers home. But we didn't just talk about it, we actually did the work. We prepared the legislation and we introduced it into Parliament.

We did that back in March. The problem here of course is that it's not One Nation's votes that we need to pass this legislation, and Pauline should know that after 30 years in politics. We simply don’t have the numbers even with One Nation.

It's Labor's votes that we need to make sure that we can shut the door on ISIS terrorists, sympathisers, coming back to our shores. That's what we need. Okay, can you clarify?

And so it's up to Mark to tell us why we can't get this done, because the legislation is there. We don't need One Nation, we need Labor. Otherwise, we simply don’t have the numbers.

Okay, can you just clarify what that legislation is? Because under international law, don't we have to bring them back? The legislation will prevent third parties from helping people- from helping ISIS sympathisers return home.

You'll recall with the ISIS brides that it was actually a mate of Tony Burke, somebody from his campaign team, that allowed those sympathisers to come back to Australia, helped get them passports, helped their travel plans to come back to Australia and return to our shores. We want to prevent that from happening. The legislation is there.

Mark could vote for it the moment Parliament returns. He chose to vote against it last time, so it’s really up to Labor to see if we can strengthen the laws. It's got nothing to with One Nation.

They don't have the numbers. We can't do it with One Nation. We have to do it with Labor.

So Labor, it's up to you. Mark, under international law, do we have to let these people come back if they are Australian citizens? So would these proposed laws do anything?

MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS: We don't know what the proposed laws are. I suspect the Daily Telegraph got that letter before Angus Taylor did. I suspect this is one of many sucker balls that are going to be bowled at Angus Taylor by Pauline Hanson between now and the next election.

Jane's right. The current laws were put in place by the Coalition during the last term in Government. With our support as the opposition, they were considered very carefully by the Bipartisan Committee on Intelligence and Security, and they use as we’re advised and were advised at the time every ounce of constitutional power to keep Australians safe.

We are implementing them in a way that was developed by our intelligence and security agencies over a decade, first under the former Government, the Liberal Government, and then under our Government. Before we came to Government, 45 ISIS fighters came back to Australia under the arrangements developed by our intelligence and security agencies under the last Government.

We will do everything we can constitutionally and legally to keep Australians safe. These sort of political games being played between One Nation and the Liberal Party will do absolutely nothing to keep Australians safer. That’s not true.

The legislation is there. We're using the laws put in place by the Coalition. Hang on a second, Jane, sorry to interrupt, Mark.

We're putting in place the plans developed under the last Government by our intelligence and security agencies. We're applying the laws to their fullest extent, and those laws use every ounce of constitutional power. Rather than play these political games with One Nation, the Liberal Party should support the Government as we supported them when they were in Government to do everything we can to keep Australians safe.

Okay. So Jane, if under international law an Australian citizen has a fundamental right to enter this country, even if they have been fighting for ISIS and the Government has to do everything it can to let them in, even if they cancel passports, they then have to find another way to let them into this country, aren't you skirting around the edges? Are you playing games here?

No, not at all. Quite the opposite. We're trying to introduce legislation to help the Government do what it says it wants to do.

But what would it effectively do? It would stop third parties bringing people back to Australia. If the Government says it has to bring people back, it should monitor that process.

It can't simply turn it over to citizens that decide they're going to vigilante themselves into bringing ISIS terrorists back to the country. So if they didn't have any help, you say they wouldn't come in? Now, Mark can't shirk his responsibility here.

Either he was going to allow third parties to bring people back, or the Government is going to do its job. We want to help the Government here. One Nation has nothing to do with this conversation.

This is about whether Labor wants to strengthen the laws that are there now. We will help them to do that. They seem to not want our help.

They simply want to allow the status quo to continue. We can help them strengthen the laws. Could they still just get on a plane and come?

Well, that's up to the Government to allow, whether that's going to happen or not. No, it's up to the ISIS fighters. If they could get themselves on a plane, they could still come, even with your laws.

They need a passport in order to do that. It's the Government that issues a passport. It's not the Opposition.

This is the Government's responsibility. We will help them where we can. But they have to actually be proactive in trying to stop these people returning.

Okay. Would this make any difference, Mark, if you banned people from helping them? Last word.

We've been very clear the Government will do nothing to assist these people coming back. A number have been coming back since this ISIS conflict started in Syria and Iraq. As I said, 45 male ISIS fighters returned before we came to Government.

We are applying the laws that we put in place in partnership with the then Coalition Government over a long period of time on the best possible advice from our intelligence and security agencies. If more people find their way back to the border, Australian citizens find their way back to the Australian border, they will be met at the airport with the full force of the law.

Okay, we'll have to leave it there. Thank you, we'll see you next week. The Hon Mark Butler MP Accessibility We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community.

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