Minister apologises for telling people not to open doors to Irish
A Melbourne politician has been forced to apologise for offending Irish people with what has been branded as a racist comment.
Victoria's Consumer Affairs Minister Marlene Kairouz has been slammed online at home and in Dublin for warning Melburnians to close their door on anyone with an Irish accent.
The Australian politician - who is of Lebanese descent - has found herself in an Irish stew of her own making after warning Victorians about door-to-door conmen.
"If anybody knocks on your door with an Irish accent, automatically ask them to leave," she said on Monday.
The Celtic backlash was immediate, with Irish MPs calling her racist and urging her to quit.
Local Irish were offended too, with travel agent Seamus Moloughney calling the comments "stupid".
"If you made it about any other nationality there would be uproar as well," he said.
Two Victorian MPs, Danny O'Brien and Dublin-born Michael O'Brien, also weighed in on the controversy.
"The minister may have been better off to warn people about Labor politicians on their doorstep rather than Irish people," Liberal MP Michael O'Brien said.
Nationals MP Danny O'Brien added: "I don't think anyone should be making these sorts of comments about any race."
"I think it's quite offensive to most people."
Ms Kairouz emerged on Wednesday ready to apologise.
"I wish I can go back and change what I said, but I can't," she said.
Premier Daniel Andrews said his minister "misspoke and didn't mean any offence".
The Australian Embassy in Ireland released a statement on the furore, gently reminding everyone that "for more than 200 years people of Irish heritage and birth have made a huge contribution to the Australian way of life and culture".
Ms Kairouz said the Irish Embassy and Chamber of Commerce accepted her apology.
"I certainly want to put this behind me," she said on Wednesday.
