One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has accused commentator Waleed Aly of condoning Islamic terrorism in a live television interview on The Project that appeared to leave the show's panel members fuming.
The Queensland senator was a guest on the Channel Ten program on Wednesday night, after an Essential Research poll released that day found 49 per cent of Australians supported a ban on Muslim immigration into the country.
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Malcolm Roberts said what about Waleed Aly?
Shock in the studio as One Nation senator accuses The Project's absent host of condoning terrorism. Courtesy The Project, 6.30pm weekdays on Ten.
Senator Roberts, who lists "the great Pauline Hanson" as his mentor and compared himself to Socrates in his maiden speech to Parliament this month, could not provide any figures to back up his party's position that Australia was being "swamped by Muslims".
Senator Roberts then took aim at Aly, who was ill that night and did not appear in his usual role as the show's co-host.
![Hosts Hamish Macdonald and Carrie Bickmore were left shocked after Senator Malcolm Roberts' appearance on The Project.](/web/20160922092708im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/l/o/3/p/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.grlo56.png/1474496376830.jpg)
"How far does it go?" panel member Peter Helliar quizzed Senator Roberts.
"Do we deport Muslims who are living here? Should the man who usually sits to my left, Waleed, be deported or relegated to breakfast TV in Syria? What are you suggesting?"
Senator Roberts replied: "No, but it would be nice if Waleed actually condemned and didn't condone Islamic terrorism, wouldn't that be a good start?"
The show's panel members - including Carrie Bickmore and stand-in host Hamish Macdonald - appeared visibly taken aback and angry at the suggestion.
![Roberts accused Waleed Aly of condoning Islamic terrorism.](/web/20160922092708im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/g/y/4/h/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.grlo56.png/1474496376830.jpg)
"Just for the record ... I don't think anyone needs to say anything, but quite clearly he does [condemn terrorism]," Macdonald said.
Earlier in the interview, Macdonald had asked Senator Roberts to explain his party's stance that Australia was being "swamped by Muslims".
Macdonald: "What does that mean? What are the numbers?"
Senator Roberts: "The numbers are, I'm glad you raised that ... the percentage of our community in Australia that are Buddhists are 2.5 per cent. The percentage of our community that is Islam is 2.2 per cent. How often do we hear from the Buddhist community? How often do we hear complaints of Buddhist terrorism?"
Macdonald: "I just wonder what you mean by 'swamped'. How fast are the numbers increasing?"
Senator Roberts: "I don't know that. We've got an adviser who goes into all of that called Frank Salter."
Macdonald: "You don't know that, but you think we're being swamped?"
Senator Roberts: "Our culture is being swamped is what we're discussing. And that's certainly true."
Senator Roberts later tweeted that he hoped The Project's panel members remembered their "manners" next time he appeared on the show.
Next time I appear on @theprojecttv hope they remember manners! They don’t like that their views are in minority https://t.co/psHL4E01D1
— Sen. Malcolm Roberts (@SenatorMRoberts) September 21, 2016