Steve Dickson will take a Sunshine Coast group’s petition, which is effectively calling for a ban on mosques, to State Parliament.
Sunshine Coast Safe Communities launched the petition last year calling on the State Government to support changes to the Sustainable Planning Act to the definition of “place of worship”.
They have asked for the definition to “exclude any applicant who advocates, teaches or practices an ideology philosophy or political system which contradicts the tenets of Australian Law”.
They have also requested the House make legislative changes to exclude any group or members which encourage practices like Sharia law, the subjugation of woman, honour killing and polygamous marriage.
Further they ask that the change would “defend Queensland communities and eliminate the threat of terrorism and the threat from political Islam”.
The Member for Buderim, Mr Dickson said he had met with members of Safe Communities and had agreed to present their petition “as I have with countless other petitions before this”.
He declined to answer a direct question as to whether he supported the petition, only to say he would consider any legislative changes if they were proposed by the government.
Sunshine Coast Safe Communities has also prepared a petition to take to the Sunshine Coast Council, requesting it to adopt the “precautionary principle” and refuse the application for a mosque in Church St, Maroochydore.
This petition has not been presented yet.
Sunshine Coast Safe Communities is hosting a forum in Kawana tomorrow to “provide understanding on the politics of Islam”.
The Sunshine Coast Daily approached all the Sunshine Coast MPs to gauge their views on the Sunshine Coast Safe Communities forum and whether the region had reason to be concerned about Muslims.
The only MP who indicated support for the forum was Mr Dickson.
He said he believed there was a need for the forum “to boost awareness of key topical issues within today’s modern society”.