Far-right commentator Candace Owens was barred from entering Australia because of her attacks on Jewish, Muslim and trans people, according to a report Sunday.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke said a visa issued to Owens was canceled following demands by politicians and and Jewish groups, Australian newspaper The Age reported.
"From downplaying the impact of the Holocaust with comments about [torturous Nazi physician Josef] Mengele through to claims that Muslims started slavery, Candace Owens has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction," Burke said. "Australia's national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else."
Owens is an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump although she complained after the 2022 midterm elections that he wasn't listening to his base about COVID-19 vaccines and she recently called for him to replace his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.
The cancellation of her visa came as the Australian government has been trying to tamp down pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, The Age said.
In September, thousands of anti-war protesters clashed with police outside a military arms convention in Melbourne, the Associated Press reported at the time.
Owens, who has claimed that Israel was founded by a "cult" and that "secret Jewish gangs" operate in Hollywood, was scheduled to visit Australia next month for a speaking tour that was promoted as "raw and unfiltered commentary on politics, culture and everyday life," according to The Age.
Tickets ranged in price from about $63 to nearly $1,000 each and Burke had previously suggested he would deny Owens a visa, saying, "I hope she has a good refunds policy."
During an August interview with Australian radio station 2GB, Owens reacted to critics of her planned tour by saying, "It's kind of incredible to think people could be so fearful of just speech and conversation."
On Sunday, she didn't directly address the cancellation of her visa in social media post that said, "Christ reigns supreme — over politics and media."
"I will never bend the knee to those whom reject Christ. I welcome any and all persecution that may come my way because of this," she wrote.
