Stephen Jones is the latest politician to condemn comments from Senator Fraser Anning blaming the Islamic community for the New Zealand mosque shooting.
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The Member for Whitlam said the Queensland independent Senator was "clearly Australia's number one racist and bigot".
"While the ambulances are carrying injured children to the hospital, an Australian senator is trying to make political mileage out of this tragedy," Mr Jones said.
"It's deplorable behaviour. I'm pleased that his comments have been met with a strong condemnation."
The Christchurch mosque terror attack has now claimed the lives of 50 people, with a further 50 people on the injured list.
Mr Jones said he hoped the comments of Senator Anning about this tragedy would lead people to reflect on how politics in Australia has drifted [to the extreme right] over the last two decades.
"This is not the first time that [Anning] has used his platform to say something outrageous and he is not alone," the federal Labor MP said.
"He is on the fringe but from the Liberal and National parties through to Bob Katter through to One Nation, they have all stood in parliament and said despicable and outrageous racist things and it seems like we've drifted to a point where it almost seems normal.
He is clearly Australia's number one racist and bigot.
- Whitlam MP, Stephen Jones
"If one good thing can emerge from this horrendous tragedy, it would be for politicians to stand back and say we can no longer enable and give comfort to these sort of attitudes, because this is what happens."
This view was supported by many Islamic leaders in the Illawarra, with one commenting "politicians such as Anning and [Peter] Dutton may have well pulled the trigger themselves as they have been sowing the seeds of hatred for years".
"Anyone who has promoted Islamophobia directly or indirectly have got blood on their hands. They need to be removed from parliament."
Mr Jones said while he loathed the views of Senator Anning, he believed politicians shouldn't have the power to expel other politicians.
"I think it is reprehensible that he is there and it is ridiculous that some body with 18 primary votes could have a seat in the senate for three years," he said.
"He is definitely an accidental senator....but he won't be the first or the last. And while his policies are reprehensible, you can't have a by-election every time somebody is ineligible to sit in parliament or resigns.
"It's far better we leave that power [to expel] to the Australian people."
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
