Khalil's parents migrated to Australia from Egypt in 1970 and their experience has significantly affected his later political outlook, "They were striving to seek a better life in Australia. They were seeking a life of security, and opportunity and prosperity." He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws in 1996 from the University of Melbourne and completed a Masters of International Law at the Australian National University in 2001.
Khalil conforms to classical Labor concerns for Australia, particularly that its "...wages have been stagnant under this government, there’s been underemployment and a lack of investment." However, he was an early supporter of Government tax cuts after the 2019 election. On energy, Khalil has withdrawn support from the Adani because "it doesn't stack up commercially and environmentally." He sees gas differently, believing that as Australia moves towards a less carbon intensive future, "Gas is a good transitional source."
Multi-ethnic Australia
From his Parliamentary position, Khalil advocates for a welcoming posture towards immigrants. When an assistant minister for multicultural affairs Jason Wood, suggested that "most migrants when they come here don't know what it means to be Australian, Khalil countered that:
Our values of freedom, of equality of opportunity, of a fair go are why new migrants have made and are making a commitment to Australia as their home. This understanding is in fact what has driven the tremendous contributions of millions of migrants who have come to call Australia home...
During the early months of the outbreak of Coronavirus disease, he spoke up for detainees who have cleared security checks, saying, "Releasing them will both protect the physical and mental health of these refugees and asylum seekers, and assist in the nationwide efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus." When an Iranian refugee under Australia's protection, Amir, was blocked from returning to Australia, Khalili's intervention, saw Border Force change its decision.
Global Democracy
In an article co-written with Michael Danby and Carl Ungerer, Khalil has argued that, "Bowing to Beijing would be the modern equivalent of the Munich Agreement". He went on to argue for a containment of Chinese totalitarian threats to democratic nations, saying:
It is in Australia's most vital strategic interest that the US presence in our region is not weakened or undermined. This is not because we seek to thwart China's legitimate aspirations and interests. It's because we are a liberal democracy whose interests are best served by a stable, prosperous region in which all countries evolve towards more democratic forms of government, as is indeed happening, most notably in Indonesia.
Khalil was appointed the Deputy Chair to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties in mid 2019, working alongside Dave Sharma. He has stated himself to be "a very strong supporter of the US alliance." Khalil expresses great concern about the health of global institutions that once could be expected to follow democratic principles. He has been critical of the World Health Organization when it allowed the re-opening of Chinese wet markets, saying he was, "flabbergasted." Recently it's said he has been approached to join Parliamentary Friends of Democracy with fellow Labor colleague Senator Kimberley Kitching and several Coalition figures. Khalil has contributed to The Tocsin the official publication of the social democratic think tank, John Curtin Research Centre. In May 2020, Khalil joined 20 other Australian parliamentarians, from several parties, in making a statement against the Chinese Communist Party's decision to assume greater over Hong Kong, the message read, in part, "This is a comprehensive assault on the city’s autonomy, rule of law, and fundamental freedoms. The integrity of one-country, two-systems hangs by a thread."
