Candace Owens Denied Australian Visa Amid Government Concerns Over ‘Discord’

Authored by Monica O’Shea via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Prominent U.S. conservative commentator Candace Owens has disputed allegations that she would incite discord in Australia after the Albanese government rejected her visa application.

Owens expressed concern about Palestine deaths and said the claims against her were “untrue” during a podcast to millions of online viewers.

This comes after Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Oct. 27 that “Australia’s national interest is served when Candace Owens is somewhere else.”

“From downplaying the impact of the Holocaust with comments about Mengele through to claims that Muslims started slavery, Candace Owens has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction,” he told reporters.

In response, Owens expressed shock on her show, The Candace podcast, explaining that she found out about her visa cancellation at the “same time as the press.”

“This is supposed to be a private application process, so unless I spoke about this, no one should have known about this, but they chose to leak this, which I think is absolutely stunning,” she said.

“I am just very interested in what goes on in this country, which is supposed to be a free country, but I guess the immigration minister can unilaterally make this sort of decision.”

She explained she had travelled all over the world, from China to Tokyo, Hungary, Croatia, Italy, and France, and had never been in any trouble.

“And yet the reason that he gave to the public was because I had the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction … of course that’s not true,” she added.

“I have no idea how you are alleging I am both anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic. Again all of this is just to try to present me as some sort of very scary person akin to Adolph Hitler.”

Concerns About Palestine Deaths

Owens, who has 5.8 million followers on X and 5.4 million followers on Instagram, said that people do not want her to get in front of an audience, adding that the “audience understands what the reason is.”

She goes on to explain her concern about the ongoing violence in Gaza.

“I am not comfortable with the amount of death that is taking place in Palestine. And that’s where I am at. I have made my bed, I have chosen to lie in it,” she said.

“To me, I am not going to remove my humanity for money. It doesn’t work for me, it doesn’t work for me as a Christian.”

Owens, 35, parted with the Daily Wire in March, and converted from Protestantism to Catholicism in April 2024. Her husband, George Farmer, is a devout Catholic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Owens criticised Australia’s lockdown policies, calling the country’s response “totalitarian” and suggesting troops should be deployed to Australia.

She also played a major role in opposing Black Lives Matter and co-founding Blexit, a movement that stands for “Black Exit” from victimhood mentality.

Tickets Still Available Amid Potential Legal Action

Tickets for the Candace Owens Live 2024 tour in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide are still available from $95 online for general admission. In Adelaide, a VIP Meet and Greet session at $295 per person is sold out.

Multiple Australian ticket pages for the event confirm Owens is planning to file an appeal and will process a refund if this fails.

“The Event Organiser and Candace Owens have confirmed they will be filing an appeal, and the case will be reviewed by a federal judge in the coming days,” the notice states.

“While they are optimistic about a favourable outcome, should the appeal be denied and cancellation become necessary, we will promptly notify all ticket holders and begin processing refunds automatically on the organiser’s behalf. Thank you for your understanding.”

On her X page, Owens shared a post by Australian political and economic commentator John Adams stating that an appeal would be filed against the decision of Minister Burke.

“I wonder whether the Federal Court of Australia is brave enough to allow Australians to listen to a black Catholic woman and make up their own minds,” the post states.

John Ruddick, NSW Libertarian Member of the Legislative Council, said Candace Owens should not be banned from Australia, explaining what anyone thinks of Candace Owens’ views should be immaterial.

He said Australia should let everyone in to speak and then the Australian people can “weigh it up.”

“In the age of the internet, it is absurd to try and prevent anyone’s views being heard,” Ruddick said.

“It is counter-productive state-sponsored vindictiveness against certain views. As Martin Luther King taught us, let freedom reign … especially the freedom to share ideas that some politicians and bureaucrats think are dangerous.”