The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, has refused to sack Yassmin Abdel-Magied from the Council for Australian-Arab Relations – resisting calls from government conservatives, including Peter Dutton, following the controversy about Abdel-Magied’s Anzac Day comments.



The Tasmanian Liberal Eric Abetz wrote to Bishop demanding Abdel-Magied be sacked after a social media post on Anzac Day that drew attention to the plight of asylum seekers.

Abetz – who has been active in the Coalition seeking to overhaul section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act on the basis the current provision offends free speech – claimed after the Anzac Day post that Abdel-Magied lacked the judgment “to build stronger Australian-Arab relations” and was therefore “unfit” to remain on the race relations council.

It is understood Bishop wrote back to Abetz on Monday, declining his request to sack the activist and indicating she would remain on her position on the council.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who made a social media post on Anzac Day that drew attention to the plight of asylum seekers. Photograph: Penguin Random House

Abdel-Magied has agreed to be mentored by the acting chair of the council, Houssam Abiad.

“In view of Ms Abdel-Magied’s apology, the fact that her social media post was made in a private capacity drawing no link to CAAR, as well as her positive contribution to date and her willing agreement to be mentored by an older and more experienced community leader, I do not intend to terminate her membership of the board of CAAR,” Bishop told Abetz.

Abel-Magied has apologised to Bishop for her social media post and acknowledged that her commentary was inappropriate. The foreign affairs minister has also characterised Abel-Magied’s commentary as inappropriate and she said it had caused “deep offence to many in our community”.

Bishop is believed to have told Abetz she made inquiries about Abel-Magied’s work at the council and was told she had made a “significant and positive” contribution to the council and its objectives, and had “communicated a positive image of Australia as an inclusive, tolerant and multicultural nation, where civic participation of Arab-Australians, and particularly women, is valued”.

Abetz was a number of conservatives who raised objections after the Anzac Day fracas, arguing she should be removed from the council and dropped by the ABC as a part-time presenter. Dutton said late last month she should not be paid anything from the federal government.