Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has refused to apologise for calling immigration minister Peter Dutton a "racist bigot", telling BuzzFeed News it's just "a fact".
The South Australian senator made the comments during Question Time on Monday after the government stood by the immigration minister's assertion that Lebanese-Muslim immigrant by the Fraser government was a "mistake".
Dutton claimed on Monday that terrorism-related crime is an immigration issue because the majority of people recently charged have Lebanese-Muslim parents or grandparents born overseas.
Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull backed his minister, saying he'd done an “outstanding job” by "presiding over a very effective and much-admired immigration system".
Attorney-General George Brandis also stood by Dutton's comments, calling him "compassionate" for saving so many lives at sea, removing children from detention, and negotiating third country settlement agreements for refugees on Nauru and Manus Island.
Hanson-Young, who is the former immigration spokesperson for the Greens, heckled Brandis during his answer, calling Dutton "passionately racist" and a "racist bigot".
When asked to withdraw, Hanson-Young initially refused saying it was "her opinion".
"Mr president, I stand by it, I think Peter Dutton is a racist bigot."
When told by the Senate president her language was unparliamentary, she agreed to withdraw "for the sake of the chamber", but added "honestly, I believe it".
Greens leader Richard Di Natale doubled down on Hanson-Young's comments, saying that Dutton is a “scumbag”.
Hanson-Young told BuzzFeed News she stands by the comments.
"Peter Dutton thinks migrants are both unemployed and taking our jobs at the same time," she said.
"He thinks saving the lives of thousands of refugees in the '70s was a mistake."
Dutton's office refused BuzzFeed News' request for comment.