Peter Dutton says the Government will not consider a proposal for citizens on terror watch lists to be interned to protect the public. Picture: Kym Smith

The Immigration Minister ruled out internment for suspected terrorists today after fellow Liberal frontbencher Ken Wyatt yesterday appeared to suggest the idea could be used as a last resort.

“Our government obviously is not going to be involved in interning people,” Mr Dutton told Sky News today.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has ruled out internment for suspected terrorists. Picture: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSource:AAP

“There’s a debate to be had here but the thought of rounding people up as might have happened during the course of the Second World War ... is not something that our government is going to be involved in.

“Equally we need to deal with the risk as it presents in the community and we need to work within the law, within the judicial system to make sure that we minimise and neutralise that threat as best we can.”

Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt has said internment could be a ‘last resort’ as a deterrent for terrorists.Source:News Corp Australia

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson first raised the idea of internment in an open letter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last week in the wake of the deadly London terror attack.

Mr Dutton said Mr Wyatt’s point had been that the government needed to consider every option to keep Australians safe.

“I think that’s what the public expect as well,” he said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had already acted to strengthen national security laws, Mr Dutton said, pointing to an agreement with state premiers at last week’s Coalition of Australian Governments’ meeting for tougher, nationally consistent parole laws and laws brought in last December to allow the indefinite detention of criminals convicted of terror offences.

Mr Wyatt, the Turnbull Government’s Assistant Health Minister and Aged Care Minister, told Sky News yesterday that internment could be a deterrent for terrorists.

“I think it’s a measure that has to be there as a last resort,” he said.

“Now internment is something that none of us want on a broader front but I equally am committed to making sure that whatever we do as a government that we are protecting Australians.

“Whilst I don’t agree with internment, if it is an option for any individual or a group then that’s maybe a measure that ensures that we don’t have the growth of a group that wants to create further harm.”

Senator Pauline Hanson called for internment to be an option for citizens on ‘terror watch lists’. Picture Kym SmithSource:News Corp Australia

Senator Hanson called for stronger action to be taken against “migrants and refugees who come to the attention of Australian security forces” in her open letter last week.

“Those on watch lists who are not Australian citizens need to be deported and those who are, interned to neutralise their possible harm to this country,” she said.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten later criticised the idea as a grab for headlines, rather than a national security strategy.

“Let us be very straightforward, this country, none of its leaders, no-one in it, has any time for violent Islamic extremism, of course not, but I am going to back the security agencies and the police,” Mr Shorten said.

“That’s how we fight terrorism.

“Every headline hunter among the Parliament wanting to grab a headline, that’s not a security strategy, that’s a media strategy.”