By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THE Greens MP who last week slammed Rosalie Crestani for her involvement in last month’s Reclaim Australia rally has invited the Casey councillor to a dinner with the Islamic Council of Victoria.
South Eastern Metropolitan state Greens MP Nina Springle has sent the invitation a week after criticising Cr Crestani for emceeing last month’s Reclaim Australia rally in the city, which turned violent when anti-Islam and anti-racism groups attempted to clash across police lines.
Ms Springle said Cr Crestani should be “condemned” for participating in the rally.
Addressing last month’s Reclaim rally, Cr Crestani said: “Freedom of religion does not mean we accept the fundamental ideas of Islam, which do not allow for other religions. So that is why Islam needs reforming or it needs to leave Australia”.
In her invitation to Cr Crestani sent on Tuesday, Ms Springle acknowledged the pair’s “very different views on the Muslim community” but said the dinner could help them understand each other’s “perspectives” and “move past unhelpful conflicts.”
“My hope is that through open dialogue and the ongoing building of trusting relationships, we can show pro-active leadership in the name of a harmonious multicultural society,” Ms Springle wrote.
Cr Crestani has told Star News she plans to attend the meeting but questioned the veracity of Ms Springle’s invitation, after claiming she was told Ms Springle “slammed” her in State Parliament on Wednesday morning.
Cr Crestani said it appeared “two-faced” to invite her to dinner and then criticise her.
Cr Crestani hit back at Ms Springle’s original comments, claiming she was showing “gross ignorance”.
“Why would a daughter of an immigrant support Reclaim if she didn’t feel strongly about wanting security and safety in Australia?” Cr Crestani said.
“And that’s what my presence there was for.
“And if she (Ms Springle) did her homework, she would see half the attendees were migrants, they just want Australia to be free from terrorism and free from the effects of Marxism and to maintain our culture.”
Cr Crestani distanced herself and Reclaim Australia from some of the more extreme right-wing protesters, including a man with Nazi tattoos who joined the anti-Islam protesters.
She said if Reclaim was perceived as “racist” it was due to media coverage of the event and “not from our end”.
“There were a couple guys that stood up with swastikas – you’re going to get a few people that want to jeopardise your core message, we can’t help that.”
