CANBERRA, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has denied that he tried to stoke fears about Muslim immigration during a party room meeting in 2010.
In an interview on Network Ten television with host Waleed Aly on Thursday night, the prime minister rejected the idea that the governing Liberal-National party coalition (LNP) has an Islamophobia problem.
According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), in his editorial, Aly cited media reports of a senior Liberal in a shadow cabinet meeting in 2010 suggesting the party use community concerns about Muslims failing to integrate as a political strategy to gain votes.
The Prime Minister's Office strongly criticised that report and claimed aspects of it were defamatory.
Morrison on Thursday night said the discussion took place while the Liberal Party was in opposition but said his contribution was in trying to "lower" community fears.
"I was the shadow immigration minister at the time and I was very concerned about these issues and the way people were feeling in the community," he said in the interview.
"What I'm saying is that I was concerned about those fears in the community and that it has always been my practice -- as I've demonstrated to you outside the Parliament and inside the Parliament -- to seek to address those."
