'Are you seriously saying that?' Today show's Lara Vella's stunning clash with Fraser Anning after he billed taxpayers to attend a far-right rally against African gangs
- The Today Show's Lara Vella had a heated interview with Senator Fraser Anning
- He attended a far-right rally against African gangs in Melbourne at the weekend
- His attendance cost the taxpayer around $2800 and has been heavily criticised
- Mr Anning called it 'no racist rally' and said others in attendance were 'irrelevant'
- Ms Vella said: 'Are you seriously saying that it doesn't matter who attended?'
- She also called out his 'divisive' rhetoric around migrants as a 'publicity' stunt
The Today Show's Lara Vella has clashed with Queensland Senator Fraser Anning as he tried to defend his appearance at a far-right rally in Melbourne last weekend.
The Senator's attendance at the rally against African gangs in the city cost the Australian taxpayer $2800 and has been heavily criticised.
Many attendees of the rally were seen giving Nazi salutes and in a heated interview this morning, Ms Vella asked Mr Anning to defend his actions.
The Today Show's Lara Vella has clashed with Queensland Senator Fraser Anning (pictured) as he tried to defend his appearance at a far-right rally in Melbourne last weekend
Mr Anning said the protest – run by the United Patriots Front – was 'no racist rally' and described the other attendees as 'decent Australian people who demonstrated their dislike for what the Australian government has done'.
Ms Vella, however, hit back, asking how people giving the Nazi salute could be called 'decent Australians'.
'I can absolutely guarantee no one in the group that I was with was doing anything like that, Mr Anning retorted.
Ms Vella then noted that Mr Anning stood shoulder-to-shoulder with UPF founder Blair Cottrell, who has previously described Jewish people as 'parasites'.
The Senator brushed off the claim, saying it was the first time he had met Mr Cottrell, before adding that 'who was there at that meeting was irrelevant'.
'Are you seriously saying the people who were at this event are irrelevant?' Ms Vella then exclaimed.
'Are you seriously saying that it doesn't matter who attended that far-right rally?'
The Senator has previously commented on banning certain migrants which he reiterated to Ms Vella: 'I would not bring any Muslims or Sudanese into the country, I would put a ban on that'
Mr Anning denied claims that those he was with at the event were giving the Nazi salute
The rally was run by the United Patriots Front in Melbourne over the weekend and saw a number of attendees giving the Nazi salute
As the clash spiralled, Ms Vella then moved on to earlier comments made by the Senator about Muslims in Australia, and asked if he thought Muslims and Sudanese migrants should be 'run out' of the country.
'I would not bring any Muslims or Sudanese into the country, I would put a ban on that,' he said.
'And any of them that commit a crime I would be shipping them home to where they came from.'
Hitting back, Ms Vella then attacked the Senator's unsteady parliamentary position.
Ms Vella criticised Mr Anning for standing next to the event organiser, United Patriots Front founder Blair Cottrell (pictured) - to which the Senator said they had only met that day
The Senator also repeatedly denied claims of racist behavior at the event and said those in attendance were 'decent Australian people'
'Where does it end with you senator, I'm curious, you have – it seems – an obsession here with Muslim migrants and members of the Sudanese community,' she said.
'Surely we should be celebrating how rich our multicultural community is rather than that divisive language, you have no chance of being re-elected, are you simply using this kind of rhetoric to gain publicity?'
Once again, the Senator denied Ms Vella's claims and stated that he was simply representing the 'hardworking people' of Australia who have 'had enough of being attacked'.
Bringing the interview to a close, Ms Vella said the Senator's statements have been making headlines, describing them as the 'publicity' he clearly wanted.
The Senator's attendance at the rally cost the taxpayer $2800 and has been heavily criticised
Ms Vella suggested Mr Anning's rhetoric - as well as his attendance at the rally - was a way to gain the 'publicity' he 'clearly' wanted
South Australia Senator Sarah Hanson-Young was just one of those that criticised Mr Anning's attendance at the rally.
'Taxpayers shouldn't be paying for Fraser Anning to hang out with his Nazi mates,' she said in a Tweet.
'He should pay the money back. The Government should refuse to accept his vote when counting the numbers in Parliament.'
Mr Anning needs more than 40,000 votes to win back his senate seat at the next election, a task he has acknowledged to be unlikely without the support of a political party.
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