2024-10-08 2 1 0 Senate 0 1

Tuesday, 8 October 2024

The PRESIDENT (Senator the Hon. Sue Lines ) took the chair at 12:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.

 

BUSINESS 1 BUSINESS Rearrangement 1 12:01 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia by leave—I move: That the routine of business from the conclusion of the consideration of proposals under standing order 75 be: a) consideration of a motion to be moved by a minister relating to the anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks; and b) adjournment without debate. Question agreed to. DOCUMENTS 1 DOCUMENTS Tabling 1 COMMITTEES 1 COMMITTEES Meeting 1 12:01 The PRESIDENT 112096 If there are no objections, the meetings are authorised. DOCUMENTS 1 DOCUMENTS National Disability Insurance Scheme 1 Order for the Production of Documents 1 12:02 Senator FARRELL I0N South Australia The government continues to reiterate its view that it cannot agree with the assertion made in this motion. We do however acknowledge the interest in the chamber in continuing to reform the NDIS to get it back on track and ensure its sustainability for future generations of Australians. I also acknowledge the support from the opposition for working together with the government to this end and for voting in support of the NDIS Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024, which passed the parliament on 22 August 2024. The NDIS bill received royal assent on 5 September 2024, which means the new law came into effect on 3 October 2024. On 8 February 2024, the government tabled the final report of the Independent Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which was publicly released on 7 December 2023. In producing this report, the independent NDIS review panel travelled to every state and territory, including regional and remote communities. It heard directly from more than 10,000 Australians, worked with disability organisations to reach out and listen to more than 1,000 people with disabilities and their families, recorded more than 2,000 personal stories and received almost 4,000 submissions. The review delivered 26 recommendations and 139 supporting actions to respond to its terms of reference. In delivering its recommendations, the review provided exhaustive analysis and proposals to improve the operation, effectiveness and sustainability of the NDIS. The independent NDIS review panel has said that its reforms can improve the scheme and meet National Cabinet's annual growth targets of no more than eight per cent growth by 1 July 2026. The NDIS bill was the first legislative step by this government to ensuring this annual growth target is achieved. Following the passage of the NDIS bill, discussions will continue with senators across this chamber as well as with members in the other place to address questions about the government's NDIS reform agenda that it is pursuing together with the disability community. We look forward to continuing to work with senators in this place to get the NDIS back on track and ensure its sustainability for future generations of Australians. In relation to the order being discussed, the government have previously outlined that we have claimed public interest immunity over the requested documents, as disclosure would prejudice relations between the Commonwealth and the states and territories. The Minister representing the Treasurer has already tabled key documents for the benefit of the Senate in addition to the aforementioned review. 12:05 Senator STEELE-JOHN 250156 Western Australia I move: That the Senate take note of the statement. Once again the government is refusing to comply with the very reasonable order of the Senate to produce documents which it is in the public interest to release. This comes within the context of a Labor government which has profoundly betrayed Australia's disability community, our families and our organisations. Let's look at the pattern of behaviour of this government since the passage of the legislation, which is so relevant to this Senate order. One of the deepest concerns held by the Greens in relation to Labor's NDIS bill was and continues to be the creation of lists which prescribe what can and cannot be accessed by a disabled person or their family. We saw the government initiate one of the most shambolic—I'm trying to find the word because to call it a 'consultation' would be insulting to the entire concept of a 'consultation', but let's just use that word. The Labor government, having done a deal with the Liberals, rammed through this bill against the will of the Australian disability community, commenced a shambolic consultation which excluded large elements of the NDIS community of disabled people and their families, because the government couldn't do basic things like provide easy English examples and explanations of what they were actually doing, and then they published the list of what would and would not be available for access mere days before that list came into effect. The fear and the uncertainty that they have unleashed on people's lives by the way they have done this is shameful, as is the fact that it is quite obvious to any MP with an inbox that the government and the agency they run are engaged in cutting people's plans. There comes a point when, having passed the 100th or the 150th example of an email hitting your inbox from a constituent pleading for support because something vital they need has just been cut, you have to face the reality that there is a gap between what the government may claim and what is actually happening on the ground. This, combined with a ridiculous process, the agency's so-called 'reaching out to check on you' process, has all been turned into yet another source of anxiety for people. This bill, driven by these documents—these budgetary decisions which this government, sitting after sitting, continues to keep secret from the Australian people—is resulting in precisely the uncertainty and the fear that the Greens, the Independents and others who voted against this bill predicted, yet they come in here every single time when the Senate insists on this basic information and refuse to give it. Not only do they refuse it; they refuse to give the basic pieces of corroborating evidence to back up their claim. There have been no letters from the states and territories detailing the ways in which the release of this information would compromise state and territory relations—none—in over a year now. What will it take for this Labor government to realise that they owe the Australian disability community better? I don't think they are going to come to that realisation until they are facing an election, because let me tell you: disabled people and our families are not going to take this treatment anymore. When it comes to election day, we will send a very clear message to you by the way that we vote. 12:10 Senator REYNOLDS 250216 Western Australia Well, here we are yet again, after 12 months of this place seeking the most basic of information, accountability and transparency from this shameful government. Not only have we heard the minister trotting out the same old rubbish—the things that are, quite frankly, not true—in response to this; we have now passed legislation in this place—which I note I did not vote for—which will actually make the situation exponentially worse for 650,000 of Australia's most profoundly and permanently disabled. Sadly, the approach to this is becoming very emblematic of how those opposite govern. They are all spin. It is all about the politics. It is never about the policy and good governance, unless it is something provided to them by their union masters. Let's have a look at the fraud they have perpetrated on Australian taxpayers, who think that the measures those opposite have got through this place will save $60 billion over the next 10 years. Well, we know that's not true. We can count. So how have they perpetrated this fraud? What they've done is they've hidden all of the financial modelling—the sustainability framework that they have supposedly agreed with the states and territories, which the states and territories have clearly said is not true. At Senate budget estimates and additional estimates, they hid all of the modelling and the numbers. Why? Because they haven't made those savings. They haven't made those savings. What they've done is wasted the last two years on a review that was never ever necessary. Thirty reviews before that had demonstrated to us quite clearly what reforms were needed to the NDIS. Instead, that shameful minister, Minister Shorten, went out there before the last election and promised the sector: 'We have no problems. We don't need any savings. We don't need any reforms. It is all that crazy Minister Reynolds and the coalition government who are out there lying.' And do you know what? When you promise something like that to people who are desperate, of course, they're going to believe you. And what happens? 'Oh, my goodness me, we've come into government. We never read any of the budget documents. We never read any of the quarterly reports of the NDIS. We never read any of the actuarial data.' And guess what? The scheme is in trouble. So they spent two years—two years—doing a review. We don't have a government response to the review. The legislation that they passed does not implement the review. They've said, 'Oh, well, we're slowly moderating costs of the NDIS,' but they're hiding most of the data to actually underpin that. Let's have a look at the facts. Planned inflation for the NDIS continues to increase. The last quarterly report shows that there has been a 10 per cent increase in total payments, which they have not budgeted for. In fact, year on year, for the last quarter, it is up 19 per cent, which they have not budgeted for. So guess what the shameful minister and government are doing to try and artificially reduce the cost? With inflation—their inflation—out of control, they've got tens of thousands of people seeking plan adjustments so they can continue to get their supports. Guess what? They're not processing any of them. There are now tens of thousands of people who have applied to join the NDIS, and guess what? They're sitting on their applications, but they are not releasing those numbers, so we don't know how many people are in the queue. How are they going to fund it? How are they going to pay for it? It is not transparent at all. They made a big thing about complaints before the last election. Complaints have now spiked to almost 18,000—three times the norm—yet, of course, they've hidden the data on that. Shame on those opposite. This country and our disabled need so much better than you. 12:15 Senator SCARR 282997 Queensland I rise to speak on this matter once again to make a few points of principle which I think are incredibly important. For those who are listening to this debate for the first time, what the Senate is discussing is an order for the production of documents, which a majority of the senators in this place passed more than 12 months ago, calling upon the minister to provide key documents relating to the financial sustainability of the NDIS program. A majority of this Senate sought those documents before we debated perhaps the most significant legislative reform of the NDIS system in this country's history since the system was introduced. A majority of senators in this place were seeking key financial and technical information in relation to this important reform before it was debated here, and the minister—the government—has refused to provide that information. That is deeply troubling. The second point I'd like to make in relation to this matter is the ground on which public interest immunity is being asserted. One of the grounds is that, if these documents were produced, it may prejudice the relationship between the federal government and our state governments. In theory, that is a proper ground. But, in everything the minister has said, not once would you have heard him say that the federal government has actually consulted with the state governments to see if they have any objection. In my view, if the federal government is going to use the public interest immunity ground on the basis that it may compromise relationships between the federal and state governments, at the very least, before asserting that ground, the federal government should actually consult the state governments and see if they mind the information being produced to the Senate—to those who are charged by the people of those states with the responsibility of engaging in debate in relation to these very serious matters of public policy. But over the last 12 months that this matter has been prosecuted we haven't had any indication that I can recollect from the minister that there has been any consultation with the states to see if they object to this information being proposed. I think, for the time in which all of us are in this place, we have a responsibility to act as custodians of this institution. That is one of the reasons why I keep speaking on this resolution. There's an important point of principle here. A majority of senators in this place, for bona fide, good-faith reasons, sought this information to inform debate in relation to the NDIS, and the government has denied the will of those senators. That is deeply, deeply troubling. Question agreed to. BILLS 4 BILLS Future Made in Australia Bill 2024, Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024 4

Future Made in Australia Bill 2024

Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024

Second Reading 4 12:19 Senator WALSH 252157 Victoria As I was previously remarking, the Future Made in Australia Bill 2024 and the Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024 also set up the processes for the Treasury to undertake sector assessments as part of our Future Made in Australia laws. Critically, these sector assessments will be done in consultation with the experts. They'll be done in consultation with workforce and with business, with people on the ground. But we want to make sure that the economic dividends of a future made in Australia are genuinely felt in the community and are genuinely felt across the economy. To do that, these bills will establish our community benefit principles to ensure that, when the government is making Future Made in Australia decisions and when companies are benefiting from Future Made in Australia support, there are safe and secure jobs that are well paid and have good conditions too; that these investments contribute to more skilled and inclusive workforces; that this work is done consultatively with local communities impacted by the net zero transition; and, in particular, that the role and perspectives of First Nations communities and traditional owners are respected, listen to and acted upon. To do that, we are introducing a specific community benefit principle recognising the unique role of First Nations people in our country and in our economy. Through our community benefit principles, we will ensure that the benefits of our investments contribute to stronger domestic industrial capabilities and stronger local supply chains too and, importantly, that companies benefiting from Future Made in Australia support are also transparent and compliant in their tax affairs. When public support is delivered, when we support projects to deliver a future made in Australia, we expect, and the community expects, to see those benefits returned and shared with the community. These bills, our Future Made in Australia bills, are all upside, so it's difficult to comprehend why those opposite oppose these bills and oppose a future made in Australia. Do they oppose the community benefiting from the net zero transformation? Do they oppose the community benefiting from the good, secure jobs that should come with the net zero transformation? If they don't want a future made in Australia, where do they want it made? Do they want it made offshore instead? We know that the coalition have form on this issue. They drove the Australian car industry off a cliff. What we don't want to see is that happen again. What we want to see is good, secure Australian jobs created in the communities that need them most, regional communities, so they can benefit from the net zero transformation. That is exactly what these bills are about. That's exactly what the Future Made in Australia is about, yet Peter Dutton's coalition oppose these bills and oppose a future made in Australia. The evidence to the Economics Committee inquiry into these bills, which I chaired, could not have been clearer. There was so much support from industry for these bills that, again, it is confounding as to why the coalition oppose these bills and oppose a future made in Australia. Industry, miners, workers, unions, investors, environmental groups, academics and many more told us that these bills are needed. They told us that the parliament need to pass these bills, that we need to set up this framework for a future made in Australia. We heard, from the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union: We are in a global race for the jobs of the future … and we've missed the starter's gun. The Future Made in Australia Act is an opportunity that will not only build social licence domestically by giving workers some reassurance that their future is going to be looked after … but also find Australia its natural place in the world. The ACTU gave evidence to our inquiry, and they told us: We see it as a really vital piece of economic statecraft that will help Australia lock in decades of new, good jobs … But it's not just the union movement supporting the Future Made in Australia and supporting the good, secure jobs that it will create; industry is supporting it too. The Australian Industry Group said in their evidence to the committee: Ai Group also welcomes and strongly supports the degree of rigour that FMIA introduces to industrial policy in Australia. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry told us: … we support the overall thrust of the bill. …   …   … We don't see this as a fundamentally politically controversial bill. It should not be. It should be one where the parliament can do its work. Beyond Zero Emissions, in their evidence to the inquiry, said that Australia needs this bill and: Delaying the passage of the bill will harm Australian industry, particularly small to medium enterprises. …   …   … They're the ones who will suffer if this bill does not pass. Again, it is those opposite who want to stand in the way of this bill. It's those opposite who want to create that harm for Australian industry, particularly for small and medium enterprises, according to the evidence that was given to the committee. We heard really interesting evidence from Liontown Resources, an Australian lithium producer, who said: We support the Future Made in Australia framework and what it is seeking to achieve … The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies also supported the bills, telling the committee: We are strong supporters of the Future Made in Australia framework … These bills are important to Australians now. They are important to creating good, secure jobs across our country and in our regions. They are important to Australian communities harnessing the benefit of the net zero transformation that we are currently experiencing and that we are driving as a government. By ensuring a future made in Australia and establishing this framework, we are taking a proactive step to capitalise on our national, natural advantages. We want to strengthen those advantages, and we will strengthen and modernise our economy and transform ourselves into a clean energy superpower and become an invaluable part of the net zero global supply chain. This policy is suitably ambitious for the times. It meets the moment that we find ourselves in today. In conclusion, through this policy we will be able to make the most of our advantages and transform ourselves to meet the needs of the future as well. 12:27 Senator BROCKMAN 30484 Western Australia I too rise to talk on the Future Made in Australia Bill 2024. Again, we have an Orwellianly named bill from this Labor government, although attributing it to George Orwell is probably incorrect. We should probably give it to those fine creatives at Working Dog Productions because it's much more like The Hollowmen, isn't it? 'Future Made in Australia'—this was a slogan thought up out of focus groups that the Labor government then hunted around to attach a policy to. How can we know that? Because the very first project announced under this Future Made in Australia approach was to an American company. For goodness sake, you couldn't put it in a Working Dog script. You couldn't put it in a Hollowmen script. It would be laughed out of town as a comedy. But that's what this government serves up. This government serves up legislation that would be better in an ABC comedy than used for the future growth of the Australian economy, because this is a highly interventionist model. The previous speaker, Senator Walsh, belled the cat when she referred to the car industry. Every Australian should remember—and, sadly, I am old enough to remember—that what killed the car industry in this country was the Button car plan. Senator Farrell I0N You killed it. Your government killed it. Senator BROCKMAN 30484 Senator Farrell, I'll give you a reminder. I know you don't need a history lesson, because you were around at the time, but what did the Button car plan do to the Australian automotive industry, Senator Farrell? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT 252157 Order, Senator Farrell! Senator BROCKMAN 30484 It was a ridiculously overreaching government intervention that forced the car companies to swap bodies and drive trains. So, if you bought a Nissan ute, it was the same as a Ford Falcon ute. If you bought a Holden Commodore, it was the same as a Toyota Lexcen except for the badge. If you bought a Nissan Pintara, that was the same as the Ford Corsair. A Nissan Pulsar was the same as the Holden Astra. A Toyota Camry was the same as the Holden Apollo. A Toyota Corolla was the same as the Holden Nova. And a Nissan Patrol was the same as a Ford Maverick. This was the sort of government intervention into our car industry that undermined it. It made Australians not want to purchase Australian made cars, and it led to the decline and eventually the death of the car industry. It was government intervention that led to the death of the car industry. Senator Farrell I0N It didn't have to die. You killed it. You put a bullet in its head. Senator BROCKMAN 30484 It was the Button car plan that led to the death of the car industry, and we are seeing echoes of this again in this Future Made in Australia—a thought bubble, a focus group developed title. I bet it polls well, Senator Farrell. I bet it polls well in those focus groups. But, when you look at the detail and see what it does to the Australian economy, you will know that the last thing you want is this heavy-handed Labor interventionist government getting their hands on this kind of power. This is absolutely the wrong thing to do at this time. The priorities of this government should all be around the cost of living, improving flexibility in our economy, improving growth in our economy and improving productivity in our economy. When was the last time you heard this government talk about productivity in our economy? They can't, they won't, they don't. They have absolutely nothing positive to say on productivity because they are running the set of instructions that was handed to them when they got into power by the union movement. They are following those instructions blindly, regardless of what the negative impact is on the Australian economy over time. As I've said, this Future Made in Australia Bill is a slogan searching for a policy, but we do know what that policy will be in the end. It will be a heavily interventionist policy, which is governments picking winners, which is the last thing the Australian economy needs. It doesn't need the amount of waste that will be involved in the spending inherent in this bill. It does not need the level of government involvement that is inherent in this bill. And it certainly does not need the first project, the first cab off the rank, of Future Made in Australia being a future made in America, which is what the first commitment was—it was to an American company. It is quite extraordinary, when you hear the platitudes and the motherhood statements coming from those opposite about how this is about promoting Australia, that the first commitment out of this policy was to an American company. We need to see a serious plan to combat inflation. We need a serious plan to get productivity improving and increasing in this country. We need a serious plan to get more flexibility into the workplaces in this country. And we need a serious plan to get more incentives into our tax system in this country. The fact is that this bill does absolutely none of those things. It harks back to an old, tired, sad interventionist model that has failed in the past and will fail in the future. Economist after economist has criticised this policy approach, and I'll go on to talk about that a little bit more in a moment. But this policy, first and foremost, is the wrong policy to take in a cost-of-living crisis. It demonstrates that Labor has its priorities all wrong. After spending the whole of 2023 talking about the Voice instead of the cost of living, Australia was hopeful that in 2024 this government would actually wake up and focus on what it needed to, and that is to get the cost-of-living crisis that is affecting every household in Australia under control. Instead, this is a plan to spend even more money. There's no part of it that makes productivity better. In fact, it probably will end up making productivity significantly worse. And, as I said, it has not gained support from any mainstream economists. Labor has plenty of handouts for lobbyists and overseas corporations, many of whom have ways to raise finance other than the bank of the government. It's not like these companies do not have other sources of investment. Yet Labor are doing this. They are handing this money out in the first instance to an American based company at a time when Australian families and Australian small businesses are doing it really, really tough. And what will this plan do for those struggling families and small businesses? Absolutely nothing. All those households and all those small businesses who are doing everything they can just to keep their heads above water at the moment would look at this and despair. They would despair that this is the priority of this Labor government—for goodness sake! We have a government that is failing on the economy. We have a government that had no idea and left all the heavy lifting on inflation up to the Reserve Bank. As a result, we saw the fastest and hardest rise in interest rates certainly in my lifetime if not a heck of a lot longer than that. Living standards and disposable per capita income have gone backwards by 8.7 per cent under this government. That's an 8.7 per cent decline in living standards. That's real disposable income. That's what people really have in their pockets to spend. There's been a decline of 8.7 per cent. Perhaps even worse than that—and it's hard to believe there's anything worse than that—is the fact that productivity has collapsed by 6.3 per cent under this government, with no plan to see an improvement in that. There's absolutely no plan in this particular bill and in fact a promise of actually making that number even worse. It's quite extraordinary. Household savings are down 10 per cent. Personal income tax is 25 per cent higher under this government in terms of the total tax take. Interest paid on mortgages has almost tripled under this government. The economy has experienced the slowest GDP growth since the 1990s outside the pandemic. We've seen six consecutive quarters of negative per capita growth. That's the longest per capita recession in 50 years. That is my lifetime—50 years. It's quite extraordinary. I'm conscious of the time, and I do want to talk about what others have said about this particular piece of legislation. Danielle Wood, the Productivity Commissioner, the government's key economic adviser, appointed by Jim Chalmers, in fact, said: If we are supporting industries that don't have a long-term competitive advantage, that can be an ongoing cost. It diverts resources, that's workers and capital, away from other parts of the economy where they might generate high value uses. Again, what's that criticism all about? It's about picking winners. It's a concept that everyone out there understands. It's about a government saying: 'Senator Cadell, I favour you, but, Senator Bragg, your business will get nothing.' It means that Senator Cadell's business gets a leg up in the economy regardless of its economic efficiency, regardless of its productivity and regardless of what it's delivering, and Senator Bragg's business will go down. It will go under because of the government's choices. This is a problem. It's been a constant problem with governments who think that they understand better than markets what the drivers are of economic growth and what the preferences are within the economy. Preferences in the economy are revealed preferences, and picking winners is a recipe for destroying capital and destroying productivity over time. Danielle Wood went on to say: We risk creating a class of businesses that is reliant on government subsidies, and that can be very effective in coming back for more. She went on to say: Your infants grow up, they turn into very hungry teenagers and it's kind of hard to turn off the tap. You get businesses dependent on these government handouts. With businesses that are potentially in a marginal seat is any Labor government going to say, 'No, we're going to turn off the tap now'? Do you really think that is going to happen? Of course they're not. So you get inefficiencies in the economy that a Labor government will be too gutless to get rid of. It will inevitably breed a reliance on government among the business community which is counterproductive and has been seen through generations to be significantly counterproductive. You will see an unseemly linkage between business and government that in a Western democracy should not exist. It creates a sense of reliance that is the breeding ground for corruption, and we need to be extraordinarily careful in this country that we do not go down this path. Governments picking winners is never going to have a good outcome. I say again that this was a slogan dreamt up before it had a policy behind it. It's very clearly something that should have been in an episode of The Hollowmen. Sadly, though, instead we see it coming out of the mouths of this Labor government—a government that doesn't have any clue about the economic management of this country. 12:40 Senator DAVID POCOCK 256136 Australian Capital Territory I rise to speak to the Future Made in Australia bills and foreshadow a second reading amendment circulated in my name. The Future Made in Australia package goes to an issue at the core of Australia's future: our place in the global transition to renewable energy and the industries of tomorrow. The framework is an opportunity to build stronger industrial base, transition our economy and reduce emissions. But it is not enough to have a framework; we must ensure that it works in practice to benefit Australians. A future made in Australia must operate with transparency, accountability and a clear commitment to decarbonisation. We are in a time of global transformation, where the choices we make now will determine whether Australia thrives as a renewable energy superpower or misses the boat. We have seen countries like the United States and the European Union act decisively, investing hundreds of billions of dollars through initiatives like Inflation Reduction Act and the European Green Deal. Australia is clearly lagging, and it's time to catch up. There's a significant piece missing from the Future Made in Australia package, and that is electrification. Electrification presents an incredible opportunity for Australian households and small businesses, at a time when they are doing it so tough, to lower energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint. It's a commonsense solution to both our cost-of-living crisis and our climate crisis, yet the government has again failed to seize this opportunity. In the United States under the Inflation Reduction Act, we've seen the success of household electrification: billions of dollars in rebates and subsidies have been provided for rooftop solar, batteries and energy-efficient appliances. The result has been significant cost savings for households and a meaningful reduction in emissions. It's well beyond time for the Australian government to put forward a substantial package to supercharge household electrification, particularly for low-income households and rental properties and for people living in social and affordable housing. A separate and ambitious package is needed for electrification—one that places Australian households and small businesses at the centre of our transition to a renewable energy future. There's a clear need in this FMIA legislation for more transparency and accountability in sector assessments. Even just looking at the framework as it stands, there is significant room to improve the bill and give Australians confidence that it will deliver on the promise to transform Australian industry. When it comes to government spending on industry, public trust is critical, particularly when we're talking about spending on this huge scale—$22.7 billion has been flagged under the FMIA framework. Australians deserve to know that this money is being spent wisely and that it is delivering value to our communities. But recent allocations of billions to quantum and solar manufacturing without sector assessments have clearly shaken public confidence. They underline a case for funding decisions to be informed by independent, robust sector assessments, not captain's calls. These assessments should draw from a wide range of expert opinions, including the Productivity Commission, the CSIRO and the Climate Change Authority, among others. This will help us avoid the policy traps of short-term thinking and overreaching. I'll propose a series of amendments to add transparency and integrity to the framework. There is also a case to look harder at the economic benefit for Australia. With such a significant investment of taxpayer dollars, Australians also deserve to be sure that the economic benefits flow primarily to Australians and Australian businesses, not to foreign corporations. Under the current Commonwealth Procurement Rules, foreign companies operating in Australia are often treated as Australian businesses. This is a massive loophole that we must close. The government should develop a very clear definition of what constitutes an Australian company, ensuring that at least 51 per cent of the ownership and the governance is actually by Australians. When I get out and talk to people about our procurement rules and the way the government and departments think about Australian businesses, the fact that any multinational can come here and get an ABN and be a dinky-di Australian business is appalling. It is not up to scratch, and this needs to be addressed. We have to ensure that the benefits of our transition to renewable energy remain within our borders and strengthen our national economy. We have to ensure that we're not having a future made in Australia made by foreign multinationals, who are minimising their tax and siphoning billions offshore. We've seen that happen with the gas industry. We have to ensure it doesn't happen in the transition. Emissions reductions also need to be at the heart of the framework. Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it is a profound economic threat and economic opportunity. The FMIA framework must place emissions reductions at its heart. The legislation should be explicit. This framework exists to help decarbonise our economy and meet our emissions reductions targets. This isn't just about creating new industries; it's about ensuring these industries contribute to reducing their own climate impact. For this reason, sector assessments should include an analysis of emissions, ensuring that we are meeting obligations under the Paris Agreement. We also need to reject fossil fuel funding as part of the FMIA framework and legislation. With emissions reductions at the heart of the framework, it makes no sense to allow funds to flow to the fossil fuel industry. The door to fossil fuel subsidies must be closed, and the FMIA framework must be clear that it is supporting the industries of the future, not the industries of the past, who are desperately trying to extend their social licence at a time when Australians recognise we need to be cracking on with the transition. It's no surprise that they're pouring millions into sponsoring our favourite sporting teams and arts events; they know that they've had their time. They know that the government should be showing leadership to truly transition our economy, not to try to have a bet each way, not to try to say: 'We're doing all this great stuff—the FMIA, building economy of the future—and also we're going to continue to expand coal and gas. We're going to tick off another three coalmine extensions. Give us your list of gas approvals that you need. We're going to facilitate those with legislation through this place and with the relevant approvals.' This needs to end, and with legislation that comes through this place we need to start being more explicit that it's about the future. It's about building a future economy and doing right by young Australians—and Australians yet to be born. We have to lift our gaze and think longer term than we currently are. The Future Made in Australia framework is a step in the right direction, but, as I've highlighted, I think it's far from perfect. It needs stronger governance, it needs greater transparency and it needs a sharper focus on emissions reduction. Most importantly, we need to ensure that economic benefits flow to Australian households and businesses, not to foreign owned entities or outdated industries. Now is the time for decisive action. Australians want their government to be braver, to actually take on the big challenges we face. Australia cannot afford to fall behind in the global energy transition. I call on the government to seize this opportunity to create a future that is made in Australia—truly made in Australia—by Australian companies, powered by renewable energy, driven by innovation and benefiting all Australians, present and in the future. 12:50 Senator SHELDON 168275 New South Wales Lets cast our minds back to the COVID-19 pandemic. International supply chains were collapsing. Our sovereignty and national security were placed under incredible pressure as countries around the world were competing for masks and vaccines. Australia's former chief economist David Wood said in 2022 that disruptions to global supply chains and transport networks were driving costs higher and prolonging the global imbalance between constrained supply and a growing demand for goods. In an inquiry into the effects of COVID-19 on Australia's foreign affairs, defence and trade, we heard from Dr Jeffrey Wilson, from the Perth USAsia Centre. He said that, given the complexity of global value chains, Australia has faced many unexpected importation supply shocks in the last three months alone, including manufacturers struggling to secure packaging materials from China and South-East Asia. That's why this government wants to safeguard us against the next global shock and use our competitive advantages to create good jobs in the regions. Our regional and remote communities are at the forefront of the economic shift that will come from the global race towards net zero. Five coal power stations are likely to close before 2030, and Australia's remaining coal power stations are likely to close by 2040. Communities in Lithgow, Collie, Biloela and the Latrobe Valley need us to act now to create jobs that go back into the regions, not leave them to the wolves like the former government did with the closure of the Hazelwood Power Station. Unlike the former government, we're embarking on an agenda to build a future made in Australia, supporting workers to access employment, skills and the opportunities for our next generation of prosperity. The Future Made in Australia Bill 2024 and the related bill will enable the government to provide tax production credits to industries such as renewable hydrogen, green metals and low-carbon liquid fuels. Independent modelling commissioned by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and undertaken by the PwC found that increasing the export of critical minerals and energy transition minerals could create more than 115,000 new jobs by 2040. The report also estimates that the number of jobs could increase by 262,000 if Australia builds onshore capability in refining and processing. Industries like critical minerals already provide thousands of good jobs in our regions, but our future made in Australia agenda will supercharge that in the coming years. For example, in April 2024 the Commonwealth and South Australian governments jointly announced $185 million for the graphite project in South Australia. Of course, the LNP's opposed to that. They're opposed to a future made in Australia. They're opposed to real jobs in South Australia on a jointly announced project. Stage 1 will deliver around 150 construction jobs, and 125 jobs once operational, in Arno Bay on the Eyre Peninsula. Stage 2 will deliver a further 225 construction jobs, and more than 120 jobs once it's operational, in Bolivar, near Port Adelaide. Also in April 2024 the Commonwealth and Queensland governments jointly announced $400 million in new loans for Australia's first high-purity alumina processing facility in Gladstone. That processing plant, the Gladstone project, is expected to create around 490 jobs during construction and more than 200 jobs on completion. An article in the Australian on 3 July 2024 reported that the Gladstone project would use a new process to turn mined aluminium into high-purity alumina, which can be used in semiconductors, lithium-ion batteries and LED lighting. The article estimates that this process will increase the value by 10,000 per cent, from 35c a kilo to $35 a kilo. That's the kind of onshore value creation that will attract capital investment and rebuild our manufacturing sector. Of course, the Liberal and National parties are against these sorts of initiatives. The Liberal and National parties are against these jobs in regional Australia. The Future Made in Australia agenda is about productivity as well and backing innovative technology as a driver of productivity. Amendments put forward by the government to this bill require decision-makers to consult with the Productivity Commission before an investment can be made. This has been welcomed by the Productivity Commissioner, Danielle Wood. This bill and the overall $22.7 billion funding package show that our government are putting our money where our mouth is. It is not just we who are moving. Countries around the world are making huge investments in critical minerals and renewables and tying that to fair labour standards. The United States has invested $551 billion in Australian dollars as part of their Inflation Reduction Act. The European Union has invested $509 billion through its green deal. Canada has invested $102 billion through to 2035 through its clean energy tax credits. To claim these tax credits, Canadian employers must meet labour standards, including prevailing wages, and apprenticeship requirements. That's a good thing. But the opposition leader, Mr Dutton, thinks he has more foresight than our closest allies. In their dissenting report, the coalition said that: 'Future Made in Australia' represents a risky and potentially wasteful expenditure of tax-payers' money … Recently, the shadow Treasurer, Mr Taylor, vowed that, if they win the election, the coalition will salt the earth on our plan for manufacturing and tax production credits. He said on ABC's RN Breakfast in August that our agenda to rebuild manufacturing was nothing more than a corporate welfare initiative. He said on Insiders in May that there's 'no case for subsidies' for critical minerals. That's because they don't want Australians to make things here. They made that clear when they chased the car industry out of the country. We have taken a different approach. This government is investing in a future made in Australia and the workers who will make it happen right across this country and right across our regions. It's here in black and white. On a practical level, this bill is built on three pillars. The first is a national interest framework which will help us identify sectors where we have a sustained comparative advantage in the new net zero economy or an economic resilience and security imperatives to invest. Dr Rod Sims, former chairperson of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, has backed the national interest framework, saying that it will put 'a lot of discipline around the Future Made in Australia policy so it doesn't go off the rails'. Secondly, there's a robust sector assessment process to help us better understand and break down barriers to private investment in key areas of the economy. This bill embeds into the law strict criteria and robust processes that will guide decision-making by Export Finance Australia and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Thirdly, there's a set of community benefits principles that will help ensure that public investment and the private investment it generates is channelled to promote safe and secure jobs that are well paid and have good conditions. Working people across Australia have welcomed this bill. Steve Murphy of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union told the inquiry into the bill that we are: … well positioned with renewable energy, as well as shifting to green metals and new industries, to supply to our region and trading partners decarbonised steel, decarbonised metals and decarbonised products that they can use in their supply chains. Thomas Mortimer from the Australian Workers Union told the inquiry that: … investing in lower-emissions production now can see Australia leverage a suite of comparative advantages in resources, low-cost renewables, and existing infrastructure and supply chains to build world-leading capabilities. Michele O'Neil from the Australian Council of Trade Unions said: Future Made in Australia is our chance to seize our own natural advantages and realise our own renewable superpower— She said that we need to ensure: … that these industries deliver well-paid, safe and secure jobs for the workers that drive them and material benefits for the communities that host them, be they those regions that have powered our country for so long or First Nations communities. The business community also backs this plan. In an article in the Financial Review on 26 June this year, the Business Council CEO Bran Black said: … we need a Future Made in Australia to work, and to work well. We cannot sit still while other nations are acting. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry offered their support for the objective of achieving sovereign manufacturing capability and maximising Australia's comparative advantage in decarbonisation as part of a future made in Australia. The Chamber of Minerals and Energy Western Australia said that our agenda would 'strategically unlock private investment at the scale in the national interest'. Lastly, in May this year, 77 economists signed an open letter supporting the Future Made in Australia policy. The letter said: Using the full suite of policy levers available to government, a Future Made in Australia strategy could rebuild a strong, sustainable manufacturing sector, with spill-over benefits that spread throughout the economy and society. We strongly support this important shift in emphasis and vision. We firmly believe that sustainable manufacturing must play a vital and strategic role in Australia's economy. The world is changing, but those opposite don't change. They're opposed to every group in the Australian community that wants to turn around and make sure that we have a future made in Australia. This is crass politics. This is a low-life attempt to turn around and make sure that we don't have the opportunity to rebuild a manufacturing base that gives good jobs in our communities, that's supported by our regional communities, that's supported by business and that's supported by those in industry that have real experience in making sure that jobs are created, because those opposite really hate the idea of government, business and the workplace through their unions coming together to start building a better Australia. Whenever those opposite hear that happening, a red flag goes up, because they want to have a constant battle, to complain about people not wanting to get along. What they do is oppose every opportunity for the community to get along, to get policies to change in this country, to get policies that build a future made in Australia, because they can't help themselves. They just don't like it when people get along and get along to build this country. Those opposite want division. They want opposition. They want to say no to every good policy that this country, when it comes together, builds up and puts forward. This bill is worth voting for, and I dare those opposite to back Australia. 13:03 Senator CADELL 300134 New South Wales I rise to speak after such a magnificent speech about the benefits of a good policy to make stuff in Australia. Unfortunately, it isn't this policy. What you heard was the views of what a good policy would do, not what this Labor government has presented to us. We hear about all the magnificent things a great policy can do to make stuff in Australia, but this is the government that put $10 billion into a housing fund and, one year later, has not built a house. That takes a special level of incompetence that only this government can show. Let's get down to what this bill, the Future Made in Australia Bill 2024, has done in reality so far. The Future Made in Reality quantum computer is about paying an American company to build a cybercomputer in Australia. That doesn't sound like 'Made in Australia' to me. Then we had the big Solar Sunshot launch at Liddell in the Hunter Valley where I'm from. What does this government do where we're going to be building green energy, where we're going to be responsible? They fly not one but two private jets to Scone airport—one for the Prime Minister and one for the environment minister. They land their two private jets at this airport that isn't rated for aircraft that heavy, so, instead of the $16,000 landing fee that's meant to be paid, they pay $600 to the local council. They take their motorcades to the electorate, and they stand by best principles. If you're launching a policy that's meant to be marvellous, you put your best companies next to you and you shine in their glory. Who do they put next to them? SunDrive. SunDrive stands there and says: 'This is the greatest policy. We're going to build many solar panels. We're going to electrify and green the entire environment. It's made in Australia, right here.' But what have we found out since? Approximately half that company's employees have been fired or retrenched since that announcement. They're down to 22 staff. They are lobbying AGL, the company that owns the land, not only to give them the land, give them the water, give them the connections and give them the energy but to build the shed for them because they can't fund the shed at the moment. They are going out there, and they've got a staged plan now. They will import components and assemble in Australia. One day they may be well off enough to actually manufacture in Australia. So are we talking about a future made in Australia or a future assembled in Australia? These actions, of the two things we have committed to, are nothing like what Senator Sheldon was talking about—a good, responsible, promising policy. This government has an amazing ability to turn great ideas into poor execution and great feelings into rubbish outcomes, and this is just another one. This side of the house is not opposing this bill because we don't believe in the stated outcomes; we're opposing this bill because we know this government won't get it right. Senator Ayres 16913 You don't believe in Australia. Senator CADELL 300134 I'll take the interjection from the minister over there, who's talking about a wind farm I opposed in Port Stephens, the offshore wind farm out there. We're talking about the 3,000 welding jobs that will be caused by constructing this in the Port of Newcastle. There's only one problem: the licensee that got the viability licence for that wind farm is the only one that doesn't have an Australian made component in their bid. The only licence application to get the go-ahead is the only one that didn't have an Australian made component. This is how we fail. We come in here and say good things, but the rubber never meets the road. This isn't a policy. This isn't legislation. This is a slogan, and that is all you're delivering here today. Take the concept of green hydrogen and where we go there. Industry is running away from it at a million miles an hour. Just last week, Origin Energy pulled out of the Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub because they say it's unviable. They do not want to invest more than the millions they already have invested in a pipedream. We've seen other companies across Australia doing the same, because it is not real. When we're driving through these regions—when the Labor members opposite drive through these regions—do something. Stop. Pull out. I know, Acting Deputy President Sterle, you've been there in your long-haul trucks. Talk to these people. They don't want these hifalutin hopes. They want some rubber on the road. They want some action. They want something happening, because it's not at the moment. We see industry running away from green hydrogen, but that is the only thing that this bill really wants to do at the moment. It wants to put money into something that industry is saying doesn't work. Fortescue is slowing its operations. Origin is pulling out. There are long talks about comparative advantage on the other side. It's a year 9 concept. What comparative advantage do you need to be more productive and have better returns than another country? We don't have it in this area. We don't have it in these things. How is a company meant to build solar panels in the Hunter Valley when there is indentured labour in foreign countries, when there is slave labour in foreign countries and when there are lower energy prices in foreign countries? How do we expect to compete, producing against those guys? We're going to— Senator Ayres 16913 Give up! It's all about giving up. Senator CADELL 300134 I take the interjection here, because this is what it is. The answer of Labor is: do it our way or give up. That's always the answer it is, and it shouldn't be. It should be to find areas where we do have comparative advantage. I put it to you that solar panel manufacturing is not it. The industry is saying that green hydrogen is not it. But there are things we can do. Senator Pocock spoke here—and in this chamber there is no bigger supporter of green and clean energies than Senator Pocock, who would normally love a bill like this—and he said he doesn't believe this has the scrutiny. He doesn't believe this has a selection process that will work correctly. He said—and I just heard him minutes ago—that the government is trying to pick winners. Ladies and gentlemen, if this government is at the racetrack, follow who it's betting on and bet on someone else. They couldn't pick a winner if it stared them in the face. This is just another bill that goes there. Comparative advantage is all about productivity—putting your units of resource, labour and capital into things you do better. And the stats don't lie. This government, since it's come in, has overseen a 6.3 per cent fall in productivity in the country. Every one of us, every Australian—there are a few words in here, and I'm not sure people are saying their 6.3, because there are rubbish words as well—has been contributing 6.3 per cent less to the economy since this government has been in. Senator Ayres 16913 That's just economically illiterate. Senator CADELL 300134 There you go. What's happening? We are producing less with greater levels of income. What this is about is a long-term handout to their big company friends. Once again, Senator Pocock, the great cheerleader of green energy, was talking about the Australianism of it. Any multinational can come in and set up an ABN. Go down to your local accountant and apply for an ABN—even go online and do it yourself—and suddenly you're an Australian company and you're qualified to do this. When we look at every policy this government rolls out, we see good intentions turn into bad legislation and then into rubbish outcomes. This is just another step of that. The government should not be able to pick favourites. They're not going to pick winners. They've never picked a winner in their life. They can't pick their favourites in the seats they want to win. From the businesses that do the right deals with the unions, to the businesses that have the right shareholding in industry super funds—that is what this is about. This is about putting your taxpayer dollars in the hands of people that will do the right thing by the Labor Party and the unions. It is nothing more than that. I wish we were looking at a bill that did exactly what Senator Sheldon said, earlier today, it was going to do. This bill is not it. It is a poor shadow. It is the Temu knock-off of a bill for building in Australia. That is what this bill is. The Australian people deserve better. If we go through everything we've got in here, we're talking about using taxpayer dollars for companies that are not able to compete on the world stage and that will require ongoing subsidies that then require people to pay more. You pay in your tax, you pay in your bills—you pay forever, under this policy. If we look at the amendments that are about bringing some sort of scrutiny, some sort of honesty, to how things are selected, they don't miraculously fix it. They make it better. The rort might not be as 'rorty', but the failure will still be just as big. We need to get Australia doing the things we do well. The transition has to happen in an orderly fashion, and I agree with those sentiments of Senator Sheldon, but it is not this bill. When you go around today and look at everything wonderful in Canberra and out there in your world, remember the four big things that bring money to this country by trade: coal, iron ore, agriculture and other mining services. They are the big winners here. They are the things we do well. The alumina improvements—adding value to it—are a good idea. I'm not going to stand here and say that is a bad idea if we can do that. If we can do the same with bauxite—process it and turn it into pebbles—that is a good idea. When we find the comparative advantages we have, to make Australia a more competitive place, that is what we should be spending money on. And we can find the emerging technologies we have the advantage in. At the energy festival in Newcastle, there was a printed solar panel, and they had to go to the UAE to get capital funding to develop it. When we look at these things that are out there, let's not produce the same thing more expensively than someone else and think we're going to have capability. Let's look at the innovation that we have. We have MGA Thermal, in the Hunter, producing energy-holding bricks that you can heat up, when energy is cheap, and use to produce heat and other things at other times. Look at these emerging technologies we have going on. There are all of these wonderful areas we can go to. But no, we just sit here with a bill that says: 'If you back us, we'll give you taxpayer money. If you're in the right seat, we'll give you taxpayer money. We don't care about the productivity of it. We don't care about anything; we care about a slogan and staying elected, not a future made in Australia, a future assembled in Australia.' Australians deserve better. 13:15 Senator BARBARA POCOCK BFQ South Australia I rise to speak on the Future Made in Australia bills—the Future Made in Australia Bill 2024 and the Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024. A future made in Australia must be built on the clean, green industries of the future. It cannot build a future for coal, oil and gas. The science is clear: we can't open any new fossil fuel projects if we want to limit our global heating to 1.5 degrees. What Labor is doing here is creating a future made in Australia that is actually one that offers an expansion for coal, oil and gas past 2050. The government's dangerous Future Gas Strategy can be delivered through this Future Made in Australia legislation, hastening the expansion of fossil fuels and accelerating the collapse of our climate system. While the Greens support positive government intervention in our economy and a strong industry policy that offers good-quality jobs, we have real concerns about what's on offer with these bills. These bills would establish a framework to inject more than $22 billion of capital over the next decade, aiming to capitalise on a clean energy transition. Labor talks about these bills as a way to maximise the economic and industrial benefits of the move to a net zero emission economy and to secure Australia's place as an indispensable part of the changing global landscape. However, in truth, under these bills, there are no limitations on what will be funded by Treasury or Export Finance Australia as necessary to advance our economic security and resilience. This is a very wide definition. This could mean manufacturing weapons to send into occupied territories and war zones. It could finance the building of import LNG regasification terminals in developing countries so that they can become hooked on Australian gas. It could mean kickstarting a petrochemical industry that locks in dependency on new gas fields for decades to come. It could become an election slash fund for more coal and gas. Public funding to expand the coal, oil and gas industries cannot be supported in the middle of a climate crisis. Another issue with the Future Made in Australia bills is the composition of the seven-person industrial decarbonisation and green metals advisory panel. The government advisory panel consists of some worker representatives as well as mining lobby heads, such as Rebecca Tomkinson from the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, Mark Kane at the Australian Steel Institute and the Australian Aluminium Council's Marghanita Johnson. And then there is Mr Paul Howes. Mr Howes was previously, of course, a union official; however, he is now the national managing partner of consulting at KPMG, the second most powerful partner behind CEO Andrew Yates, the very same Paul Howes who recently told the KPMG workforce that he is planning to half KPMG's consulting work by 2026 by shifting jobs offshore to lower-cost work hubs based in Australia and overseas. I'm not sure how Mr Howes's approach at KPMG aligns with the goal of a future made in Australia that creates and protects onshore manufacturing jobs. Paul Howes, recruited to its advisory structures, is an architect of a future not made in Australia. It greatly concerns me that there is a managing partner of KPMG on this honeypot advisory committee, with all his consultancy firm's revenue goals, history of 'land and expand', and aggressive 'opportunity mapping', which this Senate has exposed over the past 12 months through the course of its current inquiries. Mr Howes won't need a map; he's been given the keys to the front door of the Future Made in Australia, when he has a personal track record of a future for KPMG that is not made in Australia. Along with giving jobs to consulting mates, Labor is at the beck and call of the coal and gas cartel. Labor took hundreds of thousands of dollars in political donations from Chevron, INPEX, the Minerals Council of Australia, Santos and Woodside in the 2022-23 financial year alone. In turn, Labor is spending almost $50 billion in coal, oil and gas subsidies over the forward estimates, turbocharging climate destruction. Labor has approved at least 23 coal and gas projects in a climate crisis. Is it any wonder that Labor's pathetically weak climate agenda is actually seeing emissions go up? For anyone out there watching, we are not solving the climate crisis. Many Australians voted for us to do exactly that in this current parliament, and we are letting them down. Labor is letting them down with this bill. The Future Gas Strategy, which appears inherently linked to Labor's Future Made in Australia agenda, has a great big dream—a great big fantasy—underpinning it. That is the dream and fantasy of opening up the Beetaloo basin, as well as Scarborough and Browse, and of fracking the Kimberley, Perth and Surat basins. That's the dream. That's the fantasy of a future gas strategy which is enabled by Labor's Future Made in Australia legislation. And that is all wrong. It betrays the safe future of our kids, our region and our planet. Labor's Future Gas Strategy was almost universally condemned by environmental and climate groups. It's been labelled as a revival of Scott Morrison's 'gas-led recovery' plan. Despite gas being as dirty as coal, Anthony Albanese is as captured by the gas corporations as Scott Morrison was, having already given eight new gas approvals since coming to power. The Greens will continue to fight the government's Future Gas Strategy and their push for more coal and gas. With Labor and the Liberals now backing more coal and gas past 2050, we in the Greens are fighting for real climate action. It is possible to stop this addiction to coal, oil and gas; if we truly want a future for our kids and our planet, then we must. My home state of South Australia is aiming for 100 per cent renewable energy by 2027. We lead the world in the integration of wind and solar power. Currently, South Australia generates more than 70 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources and almost one in two households have solar panels installed. People are on the job; they get it, and they want a safe future for their kids. We've got the first power system in the world where rooftop solar can sometimes exceed the entire state's electricity demand. This is something to be incredibly proud of and the kind of future that Australia and the Greens want. Right now, our future is jeopardised by climate change and it's undeniable that our planet is in trouble. We're witnessing the consequences of human-made climate change around the world, in our region and in our own country. We're no longer in the era of global warming but are in global boiling, in too many places, and 2023 was the warmest year in recorded history. We're paying a big price for treating our environment and our climate as mere fuel for our economy. I'm here in the Senate today because of the evidence in successive IPCC reports and because I've listened to the scientists studying climate change. We need to directly address and tightly target that climate crisis with strong industry policy and quality jobs that make the difference. I'm here in the Senate so that I can look those future generations in the eye and say, 'I did everything I could.' We know the solutions to climate change; we've got the tools we need to implement them. We have to invest. We have to have the right industry policy to move in the right direction. I recently met with the Safe Climate, Equal Future delegation visiting this parliament, with members from the Solomon Islands, the Philippines, the Kimberley and Kununurra. Thank you to Tanya, Grace, Eduardo and Peter, who shared their stories. They've all been personally impacted by climate induced disasters, like rising sea levels, typhoons, heatwaves and changing weather cycles. They showed me photos of the destruction of their homes and their communities. For them, climate destruction is here now. I heard their clear message that, despite these communities contributing the least to global emissions, they are at the front line of the climate crisis. Our First Nations communities are clear, our Pacific neighbours are clear, the UN is clear and the science is clear. We have to stop opening new coal and gas fields, and we have to act on climate change. Investment in our industries and our industry policy must be aligned to that future. We've got to put the future of our kids before the interests of a small group of fossil fuel profiteers, mostly foreign owned, who are paying too little in taxes and are determined to wring their last fortunes out of extraction while putting our futures at risk. We must not subsidise that extraction. We've got to restore confidence in our democracy by excluding fossil fuel money from politics and rooting out corruption. When I think of Australia's future, I want a future that all our kids can comfortably live in and I want them to have the same opportunities we did. There can be no doubt that fossil fuel expansion puts the climate, our future and our frontline communities at risk. The jobs of the future are in renewable economies and industries. We need urgent transition out of fossil fuels and into renewables, and that's what industry policy should be delivering. We support government setting an agenda and investment and investment incentives that give that direction to our economy. We've got real concerns that, hidden within this framework and this bill, a future made in Australia's actually a dangerous future of coal, oil and gas beyond 2050. The Greens made nine recommendations in our dissenting report to these bills. We want the government to redirect billions in federal subsidies for the proposed Middle Arm gas and petrochemical precinct to support clean industries instead. We want the government to guarantee that public investment won't go to coal, oil and gas projects or infrastructure in other sectors that would lock in long-term dependency on fossil fuels, and we want the government to stop approving new coal and gas projects. That is what our regions and our workers in fossil fuel industries are looking for—an active industry policy to accelerate our transition to a clean energy future and a safe planet. We want the government to end the fuel tax credit scheme for mining projects. We want the government to make the electrification of homes and businesses a priority. We want the government to use industrial policy to invest capital in manufacturing and processing jobs in Australia and to not keep on exporting our wealth overseas and damaging our planet. We want the government to better define and expand 'community benefit principles' to ensure that First Nations people benefit from the projects delivered under Future Made in Australia that protects our planet's future. The Australian Greens support government intervention in our economy, and we want strong industry policy that drives public and private funds into productive parts of our economy. We need that strong policy, and we need the quality jobs that will come from it. But we need to do it in ways that ensure and protect a habitable planet where the climate's not breaking down around us and ecological collapse has been averted. We need intervention in the market to make it work in the interests of people, nature and climate, as well as the jobs and the industries of the future. We need to stop new coal, oil and gas if we're to preserve a liveable planet and a future for our kids. 13:27 Senator STEWART 299352 Victoria Future Made in Australia is about creating new jobs and opportunities for Australians and Future Made in Australia is for every part of our country by maximising the economic and industrial benefits of the move to net zero and securing Australia's place in a changing global, economic and strategic landscape. Australia is an incredibly beautiful place. I might be a little biased when I say the Murray River in particular is the most beautiful place in our country. But, in Australia, we don't just have an incredible landscape; we are also abundant with opportunities to harness renewable energy. But these opportunities are locked behind the upfront public and private investment needed to build the infrastructure and to train the workers to harness, store and fuel our homes with cheaper, cleaner energy. The rest of the world can see the unique position of Australia. As the world rapidly transitions to renewable energy, private investors are lining up, knocking on our doors and relocating their top minds to Australia to be part of our journey to becoming a renewable energy superpower. However, they need clarity, certainty and cooperation from the Australian government to commit to building and developing renewable energy projects here. This is precisely what the Future Made in Australia Bill 2024 is about—providing that clarity and unlocking opportunities for all Australians to benefit from the global shift to renewable energy. This bill does this by giving the government the authority to ask Treasury to evaluate an industry and decide if Australia should invest in it and how to attract private investment. The bill sets up a clear and open process for these evaluations, making sure our decisions are well-founded and transparent, outline what Treasury will look for when making these assessments. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT e68 Order. It being 1.30 now, the debate is interrupted. STATEMENTS BY SENATORS 15 STATEMENTS BY SENATORS Youth Voice In Parliament Week 15 13:30 Senator DAVEY 281697 New South Wales I rise to make a presentation on the behalf of the Raise Our Voices in Parliament campaign. I'm very pleased to present this speech. This speech comes from Ariba, a 14-year-old girl who lives in Wagga Wagga, just down the road from me—well, 2½ hours drive away, but it's just down the road in my terms. Ariba says: As a 14-year-old girl envisaging the future of Wagga Wagga in a decade, I desire a dynamic and secure society that offers abundant possibilities for young individuals such as myself to flourish. Here is my vision for the future of my community in Australia. I desire for Wagga to become a hub a young individuals are presented with abundant possibilities to acquire knowledge and develop personally. I aspire to delve into my passions and discover novel ones, be it in sports, music, arts or technology. Increasing the number of youth centres, creative spaces and after-school programs that are easily accessible would have a significant impact. Parliament can achieve this objective by augmenting financial resources allocated to youth programs, endorsing innovative endeavours and guaranteeing universal access to high-quality education and extracurricular activities for all young individuals. By focusing on these areas, parliament can help shape a future where young people in Wagga Wagga feel empowered, connected and ready to build a brighter future. I want to correct congratulate Ariba for her desires and for her speech that she's provided to me. Ariba, I hope that your future becomes reality in a decade. Water Infrastructure 15 13:32 Senator MARIELLE SMITH 281603 South Australia I'm proud to represent all of South Australia, but I'm especially proud to represent and fight for its far west coast communities where for too long apathy has taken precedence over advocacy, where the primary healthcare service was allowed to descend into it catastrophic state of disrepair, with black mould and asbestos and staff members getting electric shocks plugging in their phone charges, where the roof was literally falling in and where, despite it being represented by two Liberal members of parliament, it took an election commitment from Labor to secure the funds to rebuild. The community of Scotdesco is one of the communities on the far west coast that relies on this health service, but it wasn't just their health needs which have been going unheard. Scotdesco has been grappling with major challenges of water security. Not connected to any main water network and without the kind of financial support that has seen a more affordable water supply for other, nearby communities, Scotdesco has long relied on its own catchment system, and in November 2019 that system ran dry. The community had to truck water in, costing four times what it should have. Ever since, I have been advocating on behalf of the community of Scotdesco for a sustainable, long-term water infrastructure solution. That's what our government is now delivering. This week we celebrated the handover of phase 1 of the Scotdesco water security project, which will deliver new household rainwater tanks and guttering and replace outdated pipes and connections, all aimed at maximising and improving rainwater collection to ensure a safe, reliable drinking water supply. Clean drinking water is not just a necessity; it's fundamental for a healthy life for all Australians, including Australians in remote communities, and I am deeply proud to have made this project a reality with the support of former minister Linda Burney and now Minister McCarthy to make this a reality for the far west coast of South Australia. Youth Voice in Parliament Week 15 13:34 Senator HANSON-YOUNG I0U South Australia Today I'm going to read some words from Edith, a 15-year-old from my home state of South Australia, as part of the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign. In the face of the climate crisis and the worsening cost of living, young people like Edith recognise that action needs to start now. Edith writes: I'm Edith, a 15-year-old from the Mayo electorate, and the world looks terrible. The topic of this speech was meant to be what I want my community to look like in ten years, but things being as they are, I struggle to see a positive world. Living is getting harder for everyone, and we are leaving people behind. A world that is positive in ten years must start now… Without immediate action, there is no future to wish for. I want to live in a world where everyone can afford to survive, but that may never happen without us working for that tomorrow. I want support for people who need it to be readily available, but I need to see that happening now. Working to fund services such as Centrelink, making them accessible, payments clear and timely, and working to hear and fix other problems flagged by the people affected. That work needs to happen now. A world in ten years is too far to hope for. Yet it can't be far enough. Working for the future only leads to putting off issues for my generation. Working for tomorrow may get anything done. Thank you, Edith. Thank you for your words, your wisdom, and for reminding us that we do need to give hope to our young Australians, to our younger constituents, and that hope comes from listening and taking action now. Road Safety 16 13:35 Senator CADELL 300134 New South Wales We've had a few finals in the last couple of weeks for different sporting codes, but I think we can all agree we're coming to the peak of sporting stuff in Australia: the Bathurst 1000, which is on Sunday this week. My first words in here were about coming to Hell Corner. But, in a slight change, I want to talk about one of the drivers, David Reynolds, who won the 2017 Bathurst 1000, and the steps he made pre COVID. Not many people saw, but he spent some of his own money to try to create a campaign against road rage. He'd seen it and, as a supercar driver, he was looked up to, so he did a whole program with his own cash, going forward. He found out that 36 per cent of male drivers aged 22 to 39 have admitted to, at least once, chasing another driver when angry. He linked that with AAMI and paid for a survey to be done through Monash, which said that that 93 per cent of those surveyed had been subjected to aggression from other motorists during their lifetime, while 43 per cent had perpetrated aggressive driving in retaliation to others. That's drivers admitting they'd been aggressive. Forget the ones that won't admit it—that's 43 per cent admitting to it. This supercar driver identified a problem with young males and their rage on the streets, which we all see increasing, and went and spent his own money to start a campaign, the Curb the Rage campaign. He had a line of stuff ready to go. Do you know those little trees you hang off your windscreen mirrors and that smell pretty? He had little 'chill' ones of those. The story was all going forward, and then COVID happened, and he got shut down. Everything he invested in that has gone away. I've picked up his pack here. I'll be going around to see some ministers and shadow ministers to try to get some support out there for this program to stop young men from heading down that rage road, that painful road, and to keep the roads safer for all of us. Well done, David. Good luck on Sunday. I hope we can get some support for you. Youth Voice in Parliament Week 16 13:37 Senator GROGAN 296331 South Australia I'm honoured to also be taking part in the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign that a couple of my colleagues have spoken about already. It is a fantastic initiative that links young people with parliamentarians, to read speeches they have written and to try to increase the political literacy of all our young voters and voters to be. I'm delighted to read out the following speech from Ella from South Australia. Hello, Ella. In the next 10 years, I would like schools to be places that kids and adults can learn at. Schools could have afternoon clubs that adults, including elderly people, could visit to get help with digital technology problems. Adults often ask kids to help with computer and phone problems. Adults usually help kids learn but kids can teach adults too. Kids helping adults would be good for the adults and the kids. This could especially help older people who don't have their own adult children or grandkids. It could also help lonely people connect. Some schools may have a mini cafe run by older students. There would be one or two teachers around to keep us all safe. Parliament can help make this happen. The Minister for Education could ask schools to get involved. The Minister for Human Services and Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well could help advertise this to the community. This would not cost much money because students would be volunteering their time. The students would feel great knowing that they are really helping adults. Adults would learn from kids. Everyone would feel they belong. Thank you, Ella. Thank you for such a great speech and for some great ideas there that people can take forward. As I said, I'm delighted to be part of this program and delighted to have had the opportunity to read out Ella's contribution to the parliament. Tasmania: Aviation Industry 17 13:39 Senator LAMBIE 250026 Tasmania Australia's aviation sector has one big bully, in the shape of a flying kangaroo. Qantas recently announced its decision to reduce its 27 weekly flights out of Devonport by seven. Time and time again Qantas plays a game of survival of the fittest, but it's strategy has always been to weaken the competition so that Skippy doesn't fall from the sky. As we saw following the Rex and Bonza collapses, airfares on major city routes went up 12 per cent. It feels like we've been here before. Qantas pushed out Rex from flying into Burnie just over a decade ago, and on cue the price of airfares went up. Now we have an issue with flights being cut again on the north-west coast. Qantas says the use of bigger planes will mean more seats will be available, but what it really means is fewer options for north-west coasters wanting to fly out of Devonport and Burnie. With these changes, some people travelling for work will need to travel the day before, as same-day travel will no longer be possible. This cuts off businesses on the north-west coast from the national economy and health professionals on the mainland. The Devonport Chamber of Commerce and Industry has said that this decision will hurt tourism and increase costs for local businesses, and it will. Prices will most likely go up, and Qantas will flex its muscle to ensure they stay up. More than 20 regional airlines have collapsed in Australia since the 1990s, yet the Aviation white paper doesn't say much about supporting regional communities to get affordable and reliable access to airlines. A senior constituent wrote to me explaining that travelling out of Devonport to get to Sydney costs almost $1,000 more than flying out of Launceston, which is one hour up the road. He asked how this is justifiable. Well, I don't know why he's asking me, because Qantas needs to come to the table and start telling us why this is going on. You say you've got more seats, but it costs us more. How is this working? I'll tell you what I'd like to do. I'd love to refer Qantas to the ACCC. But, let's be real, they are about as much use as a wet paper bag. Economy 17 13:41 Senator LIDDLE 300644 South Australia Australians know they are poorer than they were before, due to this Labor government's mismanagement of the economy. The PM promised Australians a cheaper Australia, yet Australians are paying between 10 and 34 per cent more for basic essentials such as electricity, gas, rent, loans, insurance and food. I overheard shoppers in a supermarket sharing with each other that they can no longer afford to eat what they've eaten for years. Let me give you some local red-hot examples why. It is your industrial relations agenda, your energy policy and your rhetoric, which is so far removed from reality and is crippling businesses. South Australia has the highest percentage of renewables in its energy mix and it pays some of the highest electricity prices in the country. Family business Vili's Family Bakery produces 50,000 meat pies each day, and so much more. Their electricity bill is up 22 per cent, and they have to pass that on to consumers. Family business Nippy's has been producing flavoured milk and juices for over 50 years. They've reported a $100,000 power bill in a single month at a single plant. It is another cost they will have to pass on to customers. Golden North, which produces ice cream and other products, is expecting a 50 per cent increase in electricity prices. After 34 years, SA dairy company Beston Global Food, which produces cheese, butter and milk, has collapsed, entering administration. If these companies don't absorb or pass on costs, they will go broke, like the record number of businesses across Australia that are doing so. In South Australia, 150 more businesses entered insolvency in 2023-24 than in the previous year. Nationally, it was 3,000 more. Labor, you can't say that electricity prices are cheaper under your plan. That's simply not true. What is true is that your Labor government has increased and presided over this economic mess. Youth Voice in Parliament Week 17 13:43 Senator DARMANIN 301128 Victoria I rise today to speak on behalf of three remarkable young people from the state of Victoria, Adeeth, Arjun and Sachi, who, through the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign, are lending their voices to some of the most important issues facing our community. This year's topic asks young people: what do you want your community to look like in the next 10 years, and what can the next parliament do to achieve this? Today I have the privilege of reading some of their words: We are 12 years old. And live in the Holt electorate. We first witnessed homelessness when we visited the Melbourne CBD. Seeing people sleeping on the streets with nowhere to call home deeply affected our view of Australia. Over 122,000 are experiencing homelessness. We questioned why a wealthy first-world country like Australia has people suffering on the cold streets of Melbourne. It's disheartening to see an increasing number of people without a place to live. In the next 10 years, we hope to see everyone with a place to call home. We believe that the government can encourage the public to donate essential items to those in need. Additionally, instead of merely providing financial aid, we can offer free education and social counselling to help homeless individuals become productive members of society. This is crucial, especially with the growing number of people abandoning their homes for the chilly streets of Melbourne. To address homelessness, we need to provide free education and counselling. The parliament and politicians need to take this issue seriously and implement effective measures. A successful resolution to homelessness will result in a more liveable Australia. Adeeth, Arjun and Sachi, thank you for letting me share your speech, and thank you for getting involved in politics and having care for what democracy should look like in Australia. Pensions and Benefits 18 13:45 Senator ALLMAN-PAYNE 298839 Queensland The majority of people in this country support raising the rate of income support. This Labor government went to an election saying that no-one would be left behind. Every day that people continue to live in poverty in this country is because the Albanese Labor government has chosen to ignore the pleas of people who are struggling to survive on poverty payments. We must hear from those people who are locked out of this place. One person told me: 'The disability pension is not enough money to live on, especially while paying rent on your own. Sometimes I've gone without food, and I haven't bought clothes for over a year.' Fiona told me: I receive the partner rate of DSP— Disability support pension— because my partner is on a very low income. I suppose I should be grateful it hasn't cut off leaving me fully dependent on him. We are able to make rent due to my parents helping out. I would benefit from assessment for ADHD and autism, however that is well out of reach. Treatment for those may see me more likely to rejoin the workforce, however we are unlikely to find out at the current costs of these. I moved further out into the regions for a suitable house, however due to car problems—we are attempting to maintain two 25 year old cars—I am often having to cancel my medical, psychological and social appointments and see my own family less. The rate of DSP and all other payments needs to increase dramatically, and the partner rates and income tests need to be removed to give people more independence and safety. These stories are just a couple among many. Every day we don't raise the rate is a political calculation by the Labor government to keep people in poverty. Youth Voice in Parliament 18 13:47 Senator DAVID POCOCK 256136 Australian Capital Territory It's my privilege this year to again participate in the Raise Our Voice campaign and to read a speech to the Senate written by a young person in the ACT. This year's speech comes from Emily: 'Here is how I envision the world in a decade from now. In 10 years I'll be 26. I hope to own a home that is part of a suburb running on clean energy. I hope to live in a community where sustainability is a priority and where our shared commitment to the environment fuels both innovation and harmony. I hope to live in a community that is safe, vibrant and welcomes diversity. In this community, justice and peace will not just be ideals but the foundation upon which we build our children's futures. Additionally, I hope for an education system that excites young minds and is accessible to all, regardless of their circumstances. The classrooms would be filled with creativity, where every child feels empowered to explore their passions and chase their dreams. This vision will not be possible if small steps are taken. Don't take your responsibility lightly. I urge you to act boldly and to value the future above all else—to build more homes, fund more education programs, create safe environments for immigrants and stop suffocating our only planet with pollution. In a decade I hope to be proud to participate in Australian democracy.' Thank you very much, Emily, and to the many others who sent in speeches. Bowen, Mr Luke 18 13:49 Senator CANAVAN 245212 Queensland Australia's cattle industry owes a debt it can never repay to Luke Bowen, who helped save the live cattle industry in 2011. Tragically, Luke passed away at a young age last month, leaving many heartbroken. In 2011 the overnight ban of the Australian live cattle export industry caused chaos among the entire cattle sector, which was already struggling with drought. Cattle prices crashed everywhere, not just in those parts of the country that sold cattle to the live trade. There was a panic among industry, and into that panic Luke stepped with a calm but determined strategy. He was one of the first to realise that the issue had to be made about the human impact of the ban. As head of the NT Cattlemen's Association at the time, he organised a press conference at Parliament House. The stars were the two kids who were decked out in massive Akubras, standing with their crestfallen parents explaining the impact that the ban had already had on their family. Almost overnight, the mood changed. Australians realised that the government's knee-jerk ban was causing massive harm to Australian families. Within weeks the trade was reopened. Luke had helped save not just the live cattle trade and the graziers that use it but the thousands of truck drivers, jackaroos, fencing contractors and many others from financial ruin. Luke's example remains a template of how to respond calmly and professionally to a media panic. His example should be taught in communications classes for generations to come. Luke understood and cared for people. Politics is filled with moments of panic and stress, but Luke demonstrated that the most important attribute for any leader is to keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you. While Luke's life was cut far too short, he helped so many over a long career in agricultural leadership and in public service. After leaving the cattlemen's association he helped drive the development of the northern Australia agenda as a senior public servant. He was a wonderful father figure to his own son and four stepsons. My heart goes out to them and to his partner and soulmate, Tracey Hayes. Vale, Luke Bowen. Freedom of Speech 19 13:51 Senator ROBERTS 266524 Queensland In the last three weeks the Prime Minister has been subjected to five community notes on X, formerly Twitter. The X community has called out Prime Minister Albanese five times for spreading misinformation. We know this because Elon Musk's system of community notes allows the public to moderate each other and agree among them what's true and what's not. I can see why disgruntled former Twitter executive and e-safety commissar Julie Inman Grant detests X and detests Elon Musk. As the infamous Hillary Clinton admitted last week in a CNN interview, social media platforms like X need to censor content because, if they don't, 'we lost total control'—her words. Maintaining total control is the purpose of the United Nations pact for the future, which is really a pact for their future, not ours. Hillary Clinton's unusual honesty exposed the real motivation for introducing the m-a-d—mad—bill: misinformation and disinformation. Control means censoring the truth. There's no better evidence of this than the treatment dealt to two of the world's most respected medical professionals. I proudly welcome in the gallery one of the UK's leading oncologists, Professor Angus Dalgleish, from St. George's, University of London, and Dr Paul Marik, a leading American physician persecuted for challenging the pharmaceutical corporate narrative. Both these amazing medical professionals are on an Australian speaking tour with the Australian Medical Professionals' Society, a union One Nation proudly and strongly supports. Its highly qualified and respected health professionals, like our guests in the gallery, have suffered the consequences of the war on truth that drives the Liberal-Labor uniparty's misinformation and disinformation bill, appropriately abbreviated to m-a-d—mad. I urge everyone to come along and listen to the real COVID story, not the government's lie, while we still can and to join us in our ongoing, four-year campaign to protect free speech. Youth Voice in Parliament Week 19 13:53 Senator WATERS 192970 Queensland I'm proud to be taking part in Raise Our Voice Australia this week, amplifying the voices of young Australians in my home state of Queensland about the things that matter to them. Today I'm going to share the words of Gillian, who I believe is in the gallery up there watching. Gillian says: As I write this, I have tears in my eyes. Tears resembling the sad state of affairs that our community is in today. Tears that resemble the fear for my future and that of those to come. Port Arthur. A tragedy that cost 35 Australian lives. A tragedy that saw swift and immediate action from our parliament. Described as the deadliest massacre in modern Australian history, but I would have to disagree. Since, approximately 5000 Australian lives have been lost as a result of family, domestic and intimate partner violence. During the period of July 1 2022 to June 30 2023, there were 84 recorded domestic homicide victims from 79 incidents. More than double Port Arthur, and yet far from the most terrific 12 month period that Australia has suffered at the hands of domestic violence. Gillian continues: I struggle to find words other than a massacre to describe the choke hold domestic violence has on our community. Our next parliament needs to introduce and implement campaigns and curriculum to tackle this issue head on. Although, we don't need to reinvent the wheel. There are numerous community initiatives that have had tangible impacts but, if at the turn of each parliament, these programs are defunded, we have no hope. I want to see an Australian parliament that is committed and takes prevention seriously, rather than the revolving door of reactive legislators that we have seen for the past two decades. How many lives is too many? How many lives need to be taken to warrant swift and immediate action? Thank you, Gillian, for your very moving contribution, and, of course, the Greens' hearts go out to all victims of violence in Australia. Israel Attacks: First Anniversary 20 13:55 Senator VAN 283601 Victoria Yesterday we commemorated the anniversary of one of the most tragic days in world history—when a sovereign nation's security and its people was violated by an armed terrorist militia. My heartfelt sympathies go out to the country of Israel, its people and the Australian Jewish community, including my family and friends. The pain and suffering they have experienced and continue to experience has been inflamed beyond the devastating violence in the region, including by the relentless hate spreading on our streets and on social media. Every week we witness protests that fuel division, and I'm horrified and sickened to see graffiti such as 'kill a Jew' scrawled on our walls in our cities. I was absolutely disgusted over the weekend to see the feigned outrage over the death of Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah. I could not believe that people were treating him like a slain martyr, like a saint, instead of the tyrant, the terrorist, the murderer and the corrupter of the good state of Lebanon that he was. Celebrating a man such as he is the modern day equivalent of glorifying monsters like Slobodan Milosevic, Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot and Idi Amin. Iran wouldn't have sent 180 missiles into Israel if the leader of Hezbollah wasn't one of their own people. Youth Voice in Parliament Week 20 13:57 Senator PRATT I0T Western Australia Today I'll read a speech on behalf of Laila Gulled as part of the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign of 2024. Laila has responded to the question: what do you want your community to look like in the next 10 years, and what can parliament do to achieve it? Here are her words: I'm 24 years old and live in the electorate of Cowan. In ten years, I and many others, want to build an Australia where violence against women is a thing of the past, and where affirmative consent is established, not disregarded. I want my community to be one where young people in Australia grow up with the understanding of mutual consent and respect. A place where education around these issues is established, and where support systems for victims of violence are easily accessible and not bureaucratic. Furthermore, I want our legal system to be reformed to prioritise the dignity of survivors, so they are not re-traumatised when they navigate the legal system. To achieve this future, we need Parliament to act now in establishing federal affirmative consent laws like some other states have, invest more in education around healthy relationships and fund more support services for victims. We need Parliament to ensure that no one, no man or woman, feels powerless or ignored regarding their safety and dignity. Let's prioritise this and create a future where respect and consent are non-negotiable. I thank Laila for her passion, vision and activism and for her contribution to this year's Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign. The PRESIDENT 112096 It being three seconds to two, I think we're safe enough to move to question time. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 20 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Middle East 20 14:00 Senator BIRMINGHAM H6X South Australia My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong. Was the minister for health articulating the foreign policy of the Albanese government when he said yesterday, 'No self-respecting nation would fail to defend itself if attacked the way Israel has been; Israel has the right to defend itself and to respond to these attacks'? Why did it take the minister for health to speak with more clarity than the Prime Minister, the defence minister or you as the foreign minister could manage? 14:00 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia I thank the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate for the question. I would make the point to him that we have in fact spoken about Israel's right to defend itself from day one. I went back to the motion which we drafted—the bipartisan motion immediately after October 7's horrific events, horrific attacks—and in that motion that we put to the opposition and that was ultimately supported on a bipartisan basis there's reference to the fact that Israel has a right to defend itself. In fact, my recollection is that, last week, the Prime Minister made that same point. I said the same thing on Thursday. The Prime Minister made the same point again on Friday, and the Deputy Prime Minister made the same point on the Sunday. In other words, that has been the consistent position. But I would make this point. What we also say is how Israel defends itself matters. What we also say is that international law matters. What we also say is that international humanitarian law which protects us all also matters. That is a consistent position. It may be a position that the opposition have difficulty with—to have a position which says very clearly that we believe that there is a moral imperative for the upholding of international law, which includes the protection of civilians, because that protects us all. It protects all of us. Australia should always stand on the ground of adherence to international law, including relevantly the protection of civilians and the various other aspects of the Geneva conventions and international law which protect us all. The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Birmingham, first supplementary? 14:02 Senator BIRMINGHAM H6X South Australia Minister Butler expressly identified Israel's right to respond to these attacks, words that multiple government ministers had been asked about in recent weeks and had obfuscated around. Does Israel's right to defend itself and to respond include the right to respond to Iran's missile attacks on Israel? 14:03 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia In my press conference in Geelong on Thursday I went specifically to this point—that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iran's attacks. This is the problem with the political attacks of the opposition on this. They don't actually look at what we have said because they are not interested in what we have said. What they are interested in is creating political division. But I would also make this point. The opposition seems to be of the view that the position we've articulated is somehow different to those of our principal allies. I'll quote from the G7's statement on 3 October: A dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation risks fuelling uncontrollable escalation in the Middle East … Therefore, we call on all regional players to act responsibly and with restraint. That same G7 statement also called for de-escalation in Lebanon. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Birmingham, second supplementary? 14:04 Senator BIRMINGHAM H6X South Australia Does the Albanese government agree that Israel's inherent right to self-defence necessitates it to remove the terrorist threat from its borders? 14:04 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia I again go back—I know that Mr Abbott wants to dictate what Israel's defence tactics should be from Australia. What we say, as a matter of principle, is that Israel has a right to defend itself and that it is also the case that international law is to be respected. So people are clear, I make the point that the G7 itself, again on 3 October, made this statement: We are also deeply concerned about the situation in Lebanon. We recall the need for a cessation of hostilities as soon as possible to create space for a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. So we are very clearly where the majority of the international community is at. You are prosecuting a different position, and we all know why. Economy 21 14:05 Senator WALSH 252157 Victoria My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. The Albanese Labor government is doing all it can to provide cost-of-living relief to Australians. From tax cuts to power bill relief, our policies are providing relief whilst putting downward pressure on inflation. Since we last met, the government has continued its work to get a fair deal for Australians at the supermarket, supporting the ACCC to crack down on misleading and deceptive pricing practices. Minister, how is the government continuing to provide relief to Australians, and how are Labor's back-to-back surpluses enabling the government to support Australians? 14:06 Senator GALLAGHER ING Australian Capital Territory I thank Senator Walsh for the question and for focusing on the cost of living and the impact it's having on Australian households. We acknowledge that people are under pressure, but they would be under even more pressure if those opposite had had their way. Our economic plan is all about helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn, and our policies are making a difference. We've delivered a tax cut for every taxpayer, and that relief is seen in every fortnight's pay cheque. We've delivered energy bill relief with $300 for every household and $325 for small business. We've increased rent assistance. We've made medicines cheaper by freezing co-payments and including support for concessional payments. We're reducing student loans and providing prac placements for students for the first time ever. Thousands of Australians are now attending TAFE thanks to our fee-free TAFE policy, with an additional 20,000 places from 1 January. Of course, since we last met, we've had the final budget outcome, and the Albanese Labor government have delivered the first back-to-back budget surpluses in more than two decades. We don't do this as an end in itself, although the ability to deliver a surplus was something that, of course, eluded those opposite. Despite the 'Back in black' mugs that were commissioned, the i's were never dotted and the t's were never crossed. The fact that we have done that is not an end in itself. It's a responsible way for the government to make sure that we are showing spending restraint, getting the budget in much better shape, lowering debt at a time when inflation is higher than we would like, lowering our interest payments and making sure that we do have and can have the budget flexibility to respond should we need to in the future. These surpluses are about fighting inflation and making room for that cost-of-living relief. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Walsh, first supplementary? 14:08 Senator WALSH 252157 Victoria Without the Albanese Labor government, it's clear that a coalition government would've forced Australia into recession. There would be fewer jobs, lower wages and higher taxes. Minister, how has the government struck the balance of maintaining jobs while putting downward pressure on inflation? 14:08 Senator GALLAGHER ING Australian Capital Territory I thank Senator Walsh for that question too because this has been the approach of the government, trying to make sure that we're able to maintain as many people in jobs as possible. We've seen such resilience and strength in the labour market, and that's a great outcome. But, at the same time, we're making sure that we don't add to the inflation challenge. Again, in other countries as inflation has moderated, we've seen the unemployment rate tick up quite considerably. We haven't seen that to that degree in Australia, and that should be something that this chamber welcomes universally—more people holding onto those jobs, getting paid better in those jobs and having the tax cuts come through their pay cheques. We have been working, and our whole fiscal plan has been about making sure we do balance those competing priorities but also making sure we provide that cost-of-living relief which we see flowing through to households right now. The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Walsh, a second supplementary? 14:09 Senator WALSH 252157 Victoria The cost of living is the No. 1 issue that people raise with me across my state of Victoria, and so it's good to hear that the Albanese Labor government continues to provide relief whilst getting the economy back in order. What economic challenges have you and the Treasurer confronted since coming to government? What policy changes have you implemented to improve the economy? The PRESIDENT 112096 When you've finished, Senator Hume. 14:10 Senator GALLAGHER ING Australian Capital Territory I'm very tempted to take that interjection because our balance sheet is a lot stronger than it was when we came to government. We have lowered debt, we have lowered interest payments on the debt, we have delivered two surpluses and we are putting investments where we can to grow the economy in a productive way. That is through some of those initiatives like the Future Made in Australia, like the National Reconstruction Fund and like all of our policies targeted to increase productivity, to make sure the budget's in much better shape. And we work hand in hand with the Reserve Bank as inflation remains higher than we would like. But we have also managed to ensure that we reshape the tax cuts. We've been getting wages moving again. We've got women taking up more hours at work and returning to the workforce, with some of the support around our childcare subsidies. The gender pay gap is closing in a faster way than we've seen in some time. These are all policies that are measured to support the economy. (Time expired) Israel Attacks: First Anniversary 22 14:11 Senator PATERSON 144138 Victoria My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. An article in the Australian today revealed that the Lebanese Muslim Association, an organisation awarded a $1.65 million social cohesion grant by the Albanese government, joined with the extremist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir to host a rally last night to mark the one-year anniversary of October 7, where speakers celebrated terrorist attacks as a day of 'celebration'. Minister, do you think it's appropriate to give taxpayers' money for social cohesion to an organisation which supported a protest on the anniversary of the largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust? 14:12 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia First, in relation to the last part of the question, I think we are united in our condemnation of what occurred on October 7. It was an atrocity. It was not only the greatest loss of Jewish life in any single day since the Holocaust; there were also so many other Israeli citizens who were harmed and are living with that. We also have hostages who are still held. We, I think, are united in our condemnation of Hamas, which is, as I keep reminding people in this place, a terrorist organisation that is dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish state and the Jewish people. They are rightly condemned, as they should be. In relation to Hizb ut-Tahrir, I condemn those hateful comments, and I've consistently done that, just as I have been clear about— An opposition senator interjecting— Senator WONG 00AOU I have done so publicly, Senator. And I have condemned the flying of the Hezbollah flag and symbols, and I think we all should. We are at a time when we see a lot of division in our society and— Senator Paterson 144138 President, I raise a point of order on direct relevance. I asked the minister about a grant for social cohesion to an organisation that hosted a rally celebrating October 7. She has not responded 90 seconds into the question. The PRESIDENT 112096 Thank you, Senator Paterson. I note that your question was broader than that and I think the minister is being relevant and I will continue to listen carefully. Senator WONG 00AOU I was responding to the last part of your question, Senator Paterson. In relation to Hizb ut-Tahrir, we would say—and I've said previously to you, Senator Paterson—that we take advice from our security and intelligence agencies about whether to list organisations. I won't speculate publicly about that. In relation to the grant, the advice I have is no government funding has supported such events or rallies. Twenty-five million dollars was provided to the Australian Jewish community and $25 million was provided to support Palestinian— (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Paterson, first supplementary? 14:14 Senator PATERSON 144138 Victoria Separate media reports revealed that United Muslim of Australia sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun praised the October 7 terrorist attack at this rally, claiming, 'Victory is coming soon.' This comes after the Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Julian Hill, invited United Muslims of Australia to also apply for a social cohesion grant from the Commonwealth government. Will the Prime Minister intervene to rescind these grants and ensure no more taxpayer money will go to organisations promoting extremist and antisemitic views? 14:15 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia What I was going to say was that the advice I have is that $25 million was provided to support the Australian Jewish community and $25 million was provided to support Australian Palestinian, Muslim, Christian and other communities affected by the conflict in the Middle East. Funding to the Lebanese Muslim Association was for trauma support, mental health and youth related work. I understand the point that the senator is making. I would respond in relation to—was it Mr Beydoun in the quote you talked about? Senator Paterson 144138 Sheikh Dadoun. Senator WONG 00AOU I'm sorry; I must have misheard you. Certainly, in relation to the speaker at the rally that I thought you were referencing, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs has made clear that he has asked his department to conduct a visa check. The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Paterson, second supplementary? 14:16 Senator PATERSON 144138 Victoria At the same event, an American guest speaker, Khaled Beydoun, said 'Today is not a day that is full of mourning; today is a day that marks celebration.' The Department of Home Affairs later confirmed he is travelling here on a visa. How did Mr Beydoun pass the character test for this visa, given that he publicly praised slain Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, on social media one week ago? 14:16 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia Thank you, Senator Paterson. That was the speaker which I was referencing in my previous answer. First, I'd say very clearly that the government, all of us, condemn his comments. There is nothing to celebrate about October 7, and it's a revolting thing to suggest that there is. As I understand it, the minister said clearly that he has asked for advice from the department so he can consider this person's visa status. Obviously, I'll take advice on the information that you outline. I would assume that would not have been brought to the minister's attention before the department issued a visa. Middle East 24 14:17 Senator FARUQI 250362 New South Wales My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Minister Wong. In the last 12 months Israel has massacred at least 40,000 Palestinians, including 17,000 children. Some estimates put the death toll at over 100,000 people. It has been the deadliest war for journalists and aid workers. These are not just numbers; these are real people with real lives, real dreams and hopes that have now been shattered. Israel has destroyed or damaged 93 per cent of Gaza's schools, destroyed every university and damaged or destroyed 89 per cent of hospitals. In addition to the decades of Israel's oppression and occupation, for 12 months we have all seen a genocide livestreamed on our devices. Minister, will the Labor government overcome its cowardice and take action against the genocidal apartheid State of Israel? 14:18 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia First, Senator Faruqi, I think you'd do well to consider the advice of the head of ASIO, Mr Burgess, who said, given the division in our community, given the heightened tension—obviously this conflict is distressing. It is distressing for Australia's Jewish community, and it is distressing for Australia's Palestinian communities and for their supporters. There are many Australians who know people who have died in this conflict. He said: We all need to watch our language because there is a direct connection between inflamed language and inflamed tension and violence. Senator Faruqi 250362 That's right—hide away! Senator WONG 00AOU Senator Faruqi, I will say it again because I think it's important that your party hears. Senator Waters 192970 Through the chair. Senator WONG 00AOU Through the chair. ASIO head, Mike Burgess, said: We all need to watch our language because there is a direct connection between inflamed language and inflamed tension and violence. So I would have hoped— An honourable senator interjecting— Senator WONG 00AOU In terms of loss of life, I think you've heard me very clearly, including at the UN, talk about the loss of life. You have heard me, including at the United Nations General Assembly in our national statement, speak very directly about the loss of life. We take a principled position that we mourn the loss of all lives, all civilian lives. The answer I gave to Senator Birmingham before about international law—that includes protection for civilians and the need to be proportionate in your response. That remains our position, and we will continue to work with the international community. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Faruqi, first supplementary? 14:20 Senator FARUQI 250362 New South Wales Minister, for one year, you and the Labor government have tried to hide behind empty words and platitudes, which we heard again today. People can see right through your hypocrisy, your double standards and your gaslighting. Minister, where is your red line? Will you take even the small step of condemning Israel for its war atrocities and its war crimes? 14:21 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia First, Senator, I have been very clear. While we argue for international law and the protection of civilians, you make a number of assertions which are ultimately questions for international tribunals. What I would say to you is that the use of that kind of language in this debate, I do think, is divisive and inflammatory. I would say to you that the reason we are advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza, the reason we are advocating— Senator Thorpe 280304 Shame on you! You're complicit in genocide! The PRESIDENT 112096 Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Senator Thorpe, it is inappropriate to come in here— The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Thorpe, come to order. Senator Thorpe 280304 You're being inappropriate because your government is complicit in genocide! The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Thorpe, take your seat or leave the chamber. I remind all senators that there is an opportunity to participate in a debate later today. The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Cash, order! There is an opportunity to participate in a debate later today. I would ask you during question time to respect the chamber and respect the need to listen in silence. Minister Wong, please continue. Senator WONG 00AOU We have argued for and voted for a ceasefire in Gaza because we want to protect lives. We have advocated for restraint and the protection of civilian lives. We have joined with others in relation to— (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Faruqi, second supplementary? 14:23 Senator FARUQI 250362 New South Wales Minister, the ICJ has made clear that Israel's occupation of Palestine is unlawful. Will you sanction Israel for its illegal actions and occupation? Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT 112096 Take the slogans down. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT 112096 Order! I have just finished informing the Senate that there is an opportunity to voice your concerns this afternoon. That was a disgraceful display, which every single senator who raised a placard knows is a contravention of the standing orders. You are— Senator FARUQI 250362 It's not disgraceful to stand against genocide. The PRESIDENT 112096 Order! Senator Faruqi, you are not in a debate with me. Either you remain orderly in this chamber or you leave. Senator McKenzie 207825 Imagine if I did that. Imagine if I held up a piece of paper. The PRESIDENT 112096 Order! Senator McKenzie, it does not need your input either. I'm the President. It is my responsibility to keep order in this place, and that display was completely disrespectful and out of order. If you can't remain in the chamber and not pull stunts like that then I invite you to leave. Minister Wong, please continue. 14:24 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia That is the sum total of the Greens' capacity to change politics: to hold up a poster in question time—not to work with other parties; not to go to the international community and engage with members of the G7 and the countries of the Middle East, as we do, to try to progress the calls for peace; not to work with others to support a ceasefire in Gaza; not to work with others, including the United Kingdom and others in the Middle East, to support a de-escalation in Lebanon to save lives. You think the endpoint of politics is to hold up a sign after you've told the photographers to come. Really? That is the most progressive politics, is it? You hold a sign after you've told the photographers to come. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT 112096 Order! Senator Shoebridge, I will name you. I should not have to keep calling you and other senators to order. There's an opportunity later today to make your contribution. Middle East 25 14:26 Senator CICCONE 281503 Victoria My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong, on a very serious issue. Overnight, as many of us will have seen, Australians witnessed moving scenes of the first of the government assisted repatriation flights arriving in Sydney. Could the minister please update the Senate on the government's efforts to help these Australians and their immediate family members leaving Lebanon and returning safely to Australia, of which I'm sure many have welcomed that opportunity. 14:26 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia Thank you to Senator Ciccone for the question. I'm pleased to confirm that 349 Australians, permanent residents and their family members arrived in Sydney last night on a Qantas flight from Cyprus. It was heartwarming to see these Australians welcomed home by their loved ones. Three further government assisted flights from Cyprus back to Sydney and Brisbane are planned over the next 24 hours, and I want to acknowledge and thank Qantas and Qatar Airways for this repatriation. All those returning on government assisted flights have rights of entry or valid visas. These fights are the latest step in our government's efforts to help Australians in Lebanon to safety. As you would be aware, the government's travel advice for Lebanon has been 'Do not travel.' Senator WONG 00AOU 'Why?' Senator McKim JKM Who's bombing them? Senator WONG 00AOU This is about the evacuation of Lebanese Australians, Senator—which we are facilitating. We've been warning Australians for many months— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT 112096 Order! I ask those senators who can't be respectful in this chamber to leave. That applies to government senators and Greens senators. If you can't listen in respectful silence then leave the chamber. That's your choice. Minister Wong, please continue. Senator WONG 00AOU As commercial flights became more difficult to access, our government stepped in to work directly with airlines and with partners to secure seats for Australians. Over the weekend, we built on this, with Australian government assisted departure flights. So far, 1,215 Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members have been assisted by this government to depart Lebanon on six flights. I particularly want to thank Australian government personnel involved in this effort, including Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff in Beirut, in Cyprus and all those working here in Australia in the crisis centre. Just as we saw with the assisted departure flights from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, these staff act with professionalism, courtesy and kindness in challenging circumstances. I thank them for their work. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Ciccone, first supplementary? 14:29 Senator CICCONE 281503 Victoria Thank you, Minister, for that update. I also thank your staff, the department and all the other officials who have been working around the clock to get Australians home very safely. Minister, could you also inform the Senate how many more Australians are seeking to depart Lebanon and what further steps are being taken to assist them? 14:29 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia There are currently just under 4,000 Australians and their immediate family members registered with DFAT as wanting to depart Lebanon. Two further flights from Beirut to Cyprus are planned for this evening, our time, and there will be more in coming days to assist these Australians. But I do wish to make clear that these flights are subject to the security situation, to operational capacity and to ongoing demand. Obviously, we will not be able to continue these flights indefinitely. So my message to Australians who remain in Lebanon and who wish to leave is, again: do not wait. Now is the time to go. Please take the first flight option offered to you. Australians in Lebanon should ensure they are registered with DFAT via the crisis portal or by calling the 24-hour consular emergency centre on +61262613305. The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Ciccone, a second supplementary? 14:30 Senator CICCONE 281503 Victoria Minister, the situation in Lebanon is of deep concern to many Australians. Could you please update the Senate on how Australia is contributing to global efforts to prevent further escalation in the conflict in the Middle East? 14:30 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia Australia is seeking to work with the international community towards long-term peace. We want a pathway, we want diplomatic solutions and we want de-escalation across the region. The Australian government unequivocally condemns Hezbollah's continued attacks on Israel—we recognise Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation which has continued to attack Israel—just as we also condemn Iran's direct attacks on Israel. These are dangerous escalations. The international community is clear: this destructive cycle must stop. Unfortunately, there are some in Australia who seek to misrepresent the government's position and the position of other parties. I would remind the chamber that Australia joined the United States, Canada, the European Union, Japan and others in a joint statement calling for a ceasefire and a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes for safety. Days later, G7 leaders reaffirmed their call for de-escalation. (Time expired) Housing 26 14:32 Senator DAVID POCOCK 256136 Australian Capital Territory ( ) ( ): My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Housing, Senator Farrell. Minister, despite the government's action to date, Australia's housing crisis persists. Some two-thirds of Australians are currently experiencing housing stress. The government's Help to Buy and Build to Rent bills have stalled here in this chamber due to multiple factors, including a lack of policy ambition, the government not willing to actually negotiate and politics taking precedence over policy. This is despite a Guardian Essential poll finding that twice as many voters support parliament passing these bills as those supporting blocking them. But it appears work on Australia's first National Housing and Homelessness Plan, which the government doesn't plan to legislate, has also stalled. Minister, does the government still believe we need a 10-year national plan as part of addressing this crisis? 14:33 Senator FARRELL I0N South Australia I thank Senator Pocock for his question and his genuine interest in solving the issues of housing and homelessness on his home turf of the ACT and across the country. I don't accept the fundamental proposition of your question, Senator Pocock. This government is attempting to take action to genuinely resolve this issue. The reason that vital legislation to increase the stock of housing in this country has not passed this parliament, and therefore capable of starting the process of building more houses, is that the Greens, sitting to your left, and the coalition, sitting to your right, have combined to block that legislation. An opposition member interjecting— Senator FARRELL I0N Well, let's face it. The opposition, when they were in government, did nothing to attempt to solve this problem, and now, when this government is seeking to help resolve the problem, you're seeking to block it. You did nothing when you were in government. You're lined up now with the Greens—and we saw just a moment ago what the Greens are interested in. They're interested in cheap political points. We are not about cheap political points, Senator Pocock. We are an action government. We believe in solving the problems that we inherited from the former government, and that's exactly what we are going to do. But we need to pass that legislation, and we need to pass it now. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Pocock, a first supplementary? 14:35 Senator DAVID POCOCK 256136 Australian Capital Territory Be that as it may, consultation on your plan began more than 12 months ago, but we still haven't even seen a draft. I'm interested in when the government will release a first draft of the National Housing and Homelessness Plan. 14:35 Senator FARRELL I0N South Australia I thank Senator Pocock for his first supplementary question. We are working with the states and territories as we speak. The new minister, Clare O'Neil, is working very hard to get movement on that project. But the truth of the matter, Senator Pocock, as I've seen in a whole lot of other areas in which legislation is required to fix the problems that we inherited from the former government, is that a proper plan takes time and, of course, can't be developed overnight. We are developing this plan— Senator Cash I0M Two and a half years! The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Cash, it's not your question. Senator FARRELL I0N Not only are we an action government; we're a government that seeks to consult and make sure we don't make the sorts of mistakes that the previous government— (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Pocock, a second supplementary? 14:36 Senator DAVID POCOCK 256136 Australian Capital Territory Thank you, Minister. My understanding is that your plan won't be legislated, so I'm interested in why it's taking so long. I'm wondering if you think that your government is responding to the breadth and depth of the housing crisis with the urgency and level of policy ambition that Australians expect. 14:37 Senator FARRELL I0N South Australia Thank you, Senator Pocock, for your second supplementary question. This government is doing absolutely everything it possibly can to seek to resolve this issue. I know it might be a joke to you, Senator Pocock, but it's $32 billion of spending—more spending in the last budget on housing and homelessness than in the entire period of the former government. That's how committed this government is to seeking to resolve that issue. I wish I could click my fingers and solve the problem overnight, Senator Pocock. I can't do that, but what we are doing is everything in our power to put legislation through this parliament—blocked by your colleagues on the left and the right of you. We will eventually get this legislation through. (Time expired) Electric Vehicles 27 14:38 Senator VAN 283601 Victoria My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security, Senator Watt. Minister, electric vehicles are crucial to reducing emissions and achieving our Paris targets. However, growingly, these vehicles are connected to the grid, posing a national security risk depending on their state of origin. The Australian Signals Directorate has released secure-by-design foundations to help technology manufacturers. As international standards move towards mandatory cybersecurity requirements, will the Australian government consider incorporating these secure-by-design principles into legislation and/or regulation as required? 14:39 Senator WATT 245759 Queensland Thanks, Senator Van, for the question. I am aware that Senator Van is a supporter of the increased rollout of electric vehicles, which is also something the Albanese government has worked hard to increase. We know that, fortunately, we now do have a government that believes in electric vehicles, unlike what we saw for 10 years. It turns out that electric vehicles do not end the weekend—who would have thought?—just as we never had $100 lamb roast or a number of the other scare campaigns that we saw for 10 years. We've moved beyond that, and we are now seeing electric vehicles roll out. But Senator Van's question is a serious one. We obviously do take seriously any matter to do with national security, whether it is arising from these matters or anything else. Senator Van, you'd be aware that Australia has now passed significant reforms that will give Australians more choice around cleaner and cheaper cars. We're focused on giving Australians more choice. We will take advice from our security agencies on the matters that you've raised and we will follow that advice. I have seen some claims recently by such eminent thought leaders on climate change as Mr Barnaby Joyce on these matters. He seems to be worried about imported batteries. The problem for the coalition is that, when we put forward the Future Made in Australia package, which included $500 million to develop a battery manufacturing industry here in Australia, they voted against that as well. They don't like imported batteries. They don't like homegrown batteries. They just don't really like batteries. And they certainly don't like a future and they don't like it being made in Australia. They just don't like anything. I don't really know what they like. They don't want batteries, they don't want electric cars, they don't want climate change—they don't want change. They just don't want a lot of things. Senator Van, I know you are not in that category anymore, and we're happy to work with you further on these issues. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Van, first supplementary? 14:41 Senator VAN 283601 Victoria The Department of Home Affairs recently released the Protective Security Policy Framework that mandates that government entities identify and manage risks associated with foreign ownership, control or influence in their technology assets. Given the pervasiveness of devices connected to the Internet of Things, what else is the government doing to safeguard Australia's technology infrastructure, both large and small? (Time expired) 14:41 Senator WATT 245759 Queensland As you mentioned, there are a range of other issues arising when it comes to the security of newly developed devices, particularly when it comes to cybersecurity. The Albanese government is committed to keeping Australians safe and will make decisions based on our own interest and on the advice of our security agencies. Our government is monitoring the developments in the United States on connected vehicles, and the Department of Home Affairs here in Australia has been proactively engaging with the US government to understand the implications of any proposed regulation. Connected vehicles are an important part of our transport infrastructure and will provide significant benefits to Australia, but they also collect significant amounts of data which can be accessed by malicious actors. The Australian government is bringing forward a range of measures under the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy to strengthen the nation's resilience against technology-related harms, and I'm sure that those consultations that are occurring with the US at the moment will add to that. The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Van, second supplementary? 14:42 Senator VAN 283601 Victoria Thank you, Minister, for acknowledging what is happening in the US at the moment. I think they're seeing something that all countries should take notice of. But how will the Australian government address the risk from foreign-made vehicles, especially those that are autonomous but particularly those electric vehicles that we're going to need to meet our emissions targets? 14:43 Senator WATT 245759 Queensland As I say, we have these matters under active consideration at the moment and are in dialogue with the United States about them. Unfortunately, we don't have an Australian car industry anymore, just as we wouldn't have a battery industry if the coalition had its way either. It is a little confusing to understand what the coalition's plan on this is because we have Mr Joyce out there saying that he doesn't like imported batteries while we've got the rest of them saying that they don't like homegrown batteries. We saw Senator McKenzie, the infrastructure and transport spokesperson for the coalition, saying that it's not the coalition's plan to ban Chinese-made vehicles. Maybe the coalition's plan is to have no vehicles at all. They don't want to ban Chinese vehicles. They don't want Australian-made vehicles. Maybe it's back to the horse-and-buggy days under the coalition. We certainly know that that's their approach when it comes to policy generally. But we'll be continuing to work on these cybersecurity matters. Energy 29 14:44 Senator LAMBIE 250026 Tasmania My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator McAllister. Project Marinus began in 2017. For more than seven years this project has literally been a pipeline dream of Tasmania, Victoria and the Australian government. Construction for the project isn't meant to start until 2026, with the first cable to be ready in 2030. A second cable, if that ever goes ahead, will apparently be ready by 2033. Energy market volatility around the world has blown the cost of undersea cables out of the water, and this has been worsened by incompetent management at Marinus Link and a clueless Tasmanian government. By almost every metric it seems that the Marinus Link project isn't on track to be ready on time, let alone to be built at all. Minister, are you confident this project will be delivered on time? 14:45 Senator McALLISTER 121628 New South Wales I thank the senator for her question. I know that the senator has had a long period of advocacy for Tasmanians and their interests. She's right that projects like this do have long lead times, and she is also right in saying that, for a very long time, nothing happened on Marinus. The former government talked a very big game, but they did not fundamentally progress the project. The former minister, Mr Taylor, said of this project that it would 'provide the affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity that's not just required here in Tasmania but required in the mainland'. He said that, but it didn't get anywhere, did it? It's a shame, because the AEMO ISP in 2024—this year—finds that that project remains an actionable project and provides hundreds of millions in net market benefits. The government has made progress. We are actively managing the cost pressures that the senator refers to in her question. In September 2023 governments together revised their agreement in recognition of the impact of rising project costs. The new agreement prioritises delivery of the first cable, which delivers close to two-thirds of the total project benefit for the NEM, and the Commonwealth also increased its equity stake in the project and increased the concessionality of the Commonwealth's debt finance. So we're seeing action. In August the project company signed contracts for the high-voltage cables, and in May they executed the contract for the converter stations. This progress is because this government is working constructively with the states through Rewiring the Nation. Those opposite propose now, as I understand it, to abolish Rewiring the Nation and all of the progress that has been made on Marinus with it. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Lambie, first supplementary? 14:47 Senator LAMBIE 250026 Tasmania There is a long line of critics that say Tasmanians will be the losers of this project. Tasmanians are already facing increased energy bills. The Australian government has agreed to provide underwriting in relation to their agreement through the Rewiring the Nation program, as you said. Minister, what guarantee can you offer Tasmanians that their power bills will be reduced when the Marinus Link project comes into effect? 14:47 Senator McALLISTER 121628 New South Wales Once delivered, Marinus Link will put downward pressure on energy prices, and that's why we are working with the states and territories through Rewiring the Nation to deliver it. We've now seen that those opposite haven't changed. They're promising to scrap Rewiring the Nation to pursue this expensive nuclear scheme—against the advice of the experts, I will say. It is the most expensive form of energy that there is. That's their plan. In relation to Tasmania, it explicitly rules out jobs for Tasmanians and only guarantees higher power bills. Marinus Link is a crucial transmission project. It will provide huge benefits to Tasmania and the mainland. It will deliver jobs in Tasmania and Victoria, with both states estimated to see up to an additional 2,400 jobs at the peak of first cable construction, with over 1,400 of those in Tasmania during peak construction, and $2 billion in additional economic activity. The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Lambie, second supplementary? 14:48 Senator LAMBIE 250026 Tasmania Marinus Link is now 40 per cent owned by the Australian government, 33.3 per cent owned by the Victorian government and just 17.7 per cent by Tasmania. The Tasmanian and Victorian economies have absolutely driven off a cliff, but Tasmania still says they're committed to the project. Minister, as the biggest shareholder, has the government sought assurances from the Victorian government that their commitment to the project is assured, and when was that last checked? 14:49 Senator McALLISTER 121628 New South Wales All three governments remain committed to Marinus Link, and that is because they understand the significant benefits that the project will deliver to energy customers in Tasmania and on the mainland. I've already talked, in my answer to your first supplementary question, about the jobs benefits, but the other benefits, of course, include reliability. This will improve reliability in the NEM and better utilise existing Tasmanian generation, with the first cable delivering an additional 750 megawatts of firmed supply to the mainland at times of peak demand, especially in Victoria. It also provides a measure of security for Basslink. That's additional security for Tasmania. It's important redundancy for that Basslink cable. The second cable, which will be considered after the final investment decision is taken for cable 1, will support investment in Battery of the Nation projects as well as Tasmanian renewables, which will put downward pressure on electricity prices. (Time expired) Energy 30 14:50 Senator BILYK HZB Tasmania My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator McAllister. Minister, we know that the Albanese government is tackling cost-of-living pressures for Australians, including through providing every single Australian a $300 rebate on their energy bill. What else is the Albanese government doing to help Australians put downward pressure on their power bills? 14:51 Senator McALLISTER 121628 New South Wales Well, the senator is right. Supporting households in meeting cost-of-living challenges is this government's No. 1 priority. We do know that many families are doing it tough, and it's why, every time a family opens their electricity bill this year, it will be cheaper, as a consequence of this government's energy price relief policies. We're providing every single Australian household, and over 1.25 million eligible small businesses as well, with real relief to help with the cost of living. There are some promising signs. Updated inflation figures show electricity prices fell 17.9 per cent in the year to August, but there is more to do. Our government is investing in lower power prices by investing in renewables and firming capacity like batteries, and Australians know that renewable energy means savings. It is why Australians have led the world in rooftop solar. There are now more than one in three Australian homes with panels. That's why our government's energy plan supports Australians to directly take control of their energy use by installing household solar and batteries. It's not possible, if you rent or live in an apartment, to do this on your own, so we're also investing in community solar and batteries. Just last week, we unveiled a new joint community solar and storage project with the Queensland Miles government that will see up to 5,500 households in Caloundra and in Townsville set to save up to $800 a year on their electricity bills. This is because we listen to the experts. We know that a mix of technologies will deliver reliable and clean power to Australians, and that is backed by CSIRO and backed by AEMO as the least-cost pathway. It's all part of the reliable renewables plan. It's the plan put together by experts for affordable, reliable energy. The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Bilyk, first supplementary? 14:53 Senator BILYK HZB Tasmania Thank you for that answer, Minister. On last night's episode of Four Corners, former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull described nuclear power in Australia as 'recklessly stupid and dangerously stupid' and said that there are plenty in the coalition party room that know this is nonsense. Could the minister explain how Labor's reliable renewables plan, backed by the entire Labor caucus, is helping to provide the policy certainty required to deliver affordable energy to Australians? (Time expired) 14:53 Senator McALLISTER 121628 New South Wales You're right, Senator Bilyk. Plenty of people in the coalition party room know that this is nonsense. Well, our reliable renewables plan takes a different approach. We're cleaning up the mess in the energy system that was caused by a decade of denial and division by those opposite. We are providing the policy certainty that is necessary to get investment flowing after 22 failed energy policies—22 from across there. But here's the thing: not one of those included nuclear. Here's another thing that former prime minister Turnbull said on Four Corners last night. He said: … there was nobody, in any sort of senior responsible position during my time as Prime Minister who took nuclear power seriously, from an economic point of view. It doesn't make economic sense, and it's why we are investing in firmed renewables. But Mr Dutton will serve up the most expensive form of energy— (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Bilyk, a second supplementary? 14:54 Senator BILYK HZB Tasmania Can the minister explain how Labor's reliable renewables plan to put downward pressure on prices for households compares to alternative policy options, such as nuclear energy? 14:55 Senator McALLISTER 121628 New South Wales The approach we take is to listen to the experts. Both AEMO and CSIRO say we need reliable renewables now, not expensive nuclear energy sometime in the 2040s. New independent analysis from IEEFA shows that nuclear energy will add an average of $1,200 a year to a four-person household bill. That's a lot of money—$1,200. The opposition love to talk about the American experience with nuclear energy. What about this first-person account from Anna Hamer on Four Corners last night? She said: They were telling us everything was going to be OK with this plant, that it would be on time, and it would be on budget. It's over budget and we are paying for that … Does that sound familiar? Families are already paying the price for their failed energy policies, and if this pipedream comes to fruition they will pay— (Time expired) Middle East 31 14:56 Senator SHARMA 274506 New South Wales My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong. I refer the minister to her recent call at the United Nations for a clear timeline for the international declaration of Palestinian statehood. The minister also stated that there can be no role for terrorists in Palestinian self-determination. Is the elimination of terrorists, like Hamas, from the governance of the Palestinian territories a precondition for recognition or would the minister's clear timeline override that objective? 14:56 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia Thank you, Senator Sharma. I'll take the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions last night from both you and Senator O'Neill. Both of them were very moving, I thought. In relation to the progress towards a Palestinian state, you with your knowledge of the region would surely understand that there is no likelihood of long-term peace and security for Israel unless the international community delivers, ultimately, on the promise that was made when it established the State of Israel, which was that there would be two states—the State of Israel and a state for the Palestinian people. You would also understand that this is something the international community has been seized of. I have made it clear that we see no role for terrorists, such as Hamas, in the governance of a future Palestinian state. Unlike some in this parliament, I actually do believe that a Palestinian state is necessary as a matter of justice and for the delivery of what the international community has promised but also for the security of the State of Israel. You were an advocate, for example, of the Abraham Accords. You are an advocate for Saudi organisations. Saudi Arabia has made clear that, unless this issue is dealt with, it is not in a position to normalise. If we can avoid for just a moment the divisive domestic politics, the reality is we have to work towards a two-state solution because that is the only pathway to peace. We have a conflict where we have seen not only the horrific attacks on 7 October but, in the aftermath in the response, over 11,000 children killed. Let's just pause to think about what that means. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Sharma, a first supplementary? 14:58 Senator SHARMA 274506 New South Wales You also spoke in your speech at the United Nations about the need for a reformed Palestinian Authority. Is a reformed Palestinian Authority a prerequisite for any recognition or, again, would your clear timeline override that objective? 14:59 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia Reform of the Palestinian Authority is something that many parties have spoken about. It's not my idea. It is a proposition that others, including the United Kingdom—the conservative government in the United Kingdom, in fact—as well as the United States have spoken about. This is a mainstream idea. I know that there are those that don't support two states. It is a matter for you whether or not you think that's consistent with your party's position. What I would say is I do not believe and the international community does not believe that there is long-term peace and security for the people of Israel unless this issue is ultimately dealt with. Honourable senators interjecting— Senator WONG 00AOU The international community made a commitment to this, Senator McKenzie, at the time it established the State of Israel. Let's understand this has always been an issue that the international community has been seized of. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Sharma, second supplementary? 15:00 Senator SHARMA 274506 New South Wales Given the uncertainties and inconsistencies in Labor's position on this issue, will the minister guarantee not to recognise a Palestinian state ahead of the next election and to instead take a clear policy on how or when Labor would undertake recognition to the next election? 15:00 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia I'm not going to be looking at election time on something as important as this. You might want to think about that, but that is not the way I'm thinking about it. What I am thinking about is how we work with the broader international community, including the United States, including the United Kingdom, including many members of the General Assembly, many members of the EU, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and so many others who are looking at how we can help towards that pathway to peace. A political horizon for the resolution of a Palestinian state has to be part of that. We will keep working for peace. Others might want to keep working for division here in Australia. On that, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS 32 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS Middle East 32 15:01 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia If I could add to an answer from Question Time: I think I misspoke and said it was a Qantas flight that landed. The flight that I was referencing was in fact a Qatar flight. The reason I wanted to say that is that I do want to recognise that Qatar Airways has been of great assistance along with Qantas in providing such flights. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS 32 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS Answers to Questions 32 15:02 Senator ANTIC 269375 South Australia I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today relating to the 7 October 2023 Hamas Attacks. Last year on 7 October, a Saturday evening, I watched the horrendous events play out in Israel, on the border of Gaza, with genuine shock, I have to say—shock at the brutality, shock at the trauma and shock generally at the horrendous scenes. It felt on that day like that part of the world was the very epicentre of evil. It was probably made all the more real by virtue of the fact that those were places which I had actually visited, places which I had seen with my own eyes and places which I had touched. It's very hard to accept that those places and those people were caught up in such horrendous scenes. But the shock, I have to say, sadly, was not necessarily left on the day. The shock that really hit me was the shock of what transpired after the event. I don't know that any of us were truly ready for the shock of watching the widespread nature of antisemitism in this country unfold at our universities, on our streets on a wider level and, frankly, even in this very building. The children of people at those kibbutzim and towns were swept away by what happened to them, swept away by the villainy of the far left in this country. I don't think any of use were ready for the scenes we saw at the Sydney Opera House, watching people who hold themselves up as preachers of peace, tolerance, diversity and unity but who, in actual fact, practise something quite different—a form of antisemitism and vitriol that was under the surface in this country and that I think many of us had hoped we had seen the last of. But I think people in this country probably have all been quite naive to that. What we've witnessed over the last period of time is people simply replacing the word 'Jewish' with 'Zionist' and thinking that that's enough to get them off the hook for their intolerance. We've seen, as a result of some of those scenes, the way being cleared for the organisation Hezbollah to praise the anti-Israel rallies across the country here in Australia. We hear so often the empty words out of the mouths of people in this building that words matter, but when it comes to this issue they don't seem to be practising what they preach. I think this has emanated largely from the disappointment that many of us have seen in this very far left government, which is completely out of touch with Australian values and people in this country who are rightly appalled by the events of October 7. We've seen a government that has been all over the shop, trying to be all things to all people, trying to appease those in their own ranks who have a very different worldview to everyday Australians, particularly on this issue. The country of Israel has every right to defend itself. It has every right to defend its territory and it has every right to defend its people from external threats. We on this side of the chamber want to be on record saying that a coalition government, if elected, will restore moral clarity and act with courage on this issue, because if ever there has been a time which has needed moral courage it has been during the events of the last 12 months. We'll make it clear that the law has to be enforced readily, not reluctantly, against those who are inciting this sort of hatred and violence. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has made it clear that we would hold a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on our university campuses, because, frankly, the Jewish people and the Jewish community of this country deserve nothing less. Some of the stories coming out of those campuses, of parents with children who are frightened to send their children to university because of the nature of the backlash, are nothing short of appalling and un-Australian. Finally, we'll make sure that young Australians are equipped with a shield of knowledge to deflect this hatred. Of course, this is part of a wider issue about what our children are being taught in universities and schools and by the media. These are issues which need to be addressed and these are issues which a coalition government will address. 15:07 Senator O'NEILL 140651 New South Wales It's somewhat disappointing to see the effort to embroider difference where there is none on a matter of such significance. That is not just about ideas but about the lives of fellow human beings in whatever country they may have been born into and in whatever territory they may have been born into. I find that profoundly disappointing, when only last night, on the evening of 7 October, so many of us from across the parliament gathered to stand in solidarity with the people of Israel at the Embassy of Israel. I believe people of goodwill in every country around the world recall with horror the news as it emerged after that terrible attack that was perpetrated by the terrorist organisation Hamas last year on 7 October 2023. Unrest in the Middle East is something that has been a part of modern political discussion for a long time. Senator Sterle, who sits beside me here in the parliament, was talking about his time as chair of the parliamentary friendship group of Israel. It is in that role that I spoke last night at the embassy, not too far from here. I want to put on the record the work of the parliamentary friendship group of Israel, a multiparty group, which belies some of the divisive commentary that seems to be being brought forward at this point in the debate. This was the statement that we, as the friendship group, put out within a mere 48 hours of the attack on the sovereign state of Israel by Hamas terrorists who, highly armed, swarmed over the border in their thousands: … we unequivocally condemn the attacks on Israel by terrorist group Hamas. The targeting of civilians and indiscriminate violence by Hamas is resulting in a devastating loss of life across the region and is a heartbreaking setback for the security of both Israeli and Palestinian people. The state of Israel has an unimpeachable right to exist, and to defend itself. We stand in friendship and solidarity with the people of Israel. Our thoughts are with all those who are affected by this conflict, and in particular with the families of those who have lost their lives or have been taken hostage. We pledge to continue our work with Australia's Jewish community and the Israeli diaspora. We seek to promote peace within the region and the security of Israel, now and always. It was signed over two pages by more than 30 parliamentarians from every party. Nothing has changed from that day in terms of the unanimity of view: those of us who were outraged then remain outraged now. For the record, let's just be clear about the joint statement on 16 October last year in both houses. I'm recalling the Senate Hansard here, which echoes exactly the statement in the House of Representatives. These are the first two points of the statement, which starts at (a) and goes to (p). The first point states: That the Senate— That's all of us in this together— (a) unequivocally condemns the attacks on Israel by Hamas, which are the heinous acts of terrorists, and have encompassed the targeting and murder of civilians, including women and children, the taking of hostages, and indiscriminate rocket fire; The second point states: (b) stands with Israel and recognises its inherent right to defend itself; That remains the case. Tearing at the fabric of Australian society for some perceived potential political gain at a time when we know that antisemitism is on the rise all around the world, including in our own community, is a disgraceful ploy. I, as a Labor person, am so proud to stand alongside Senator David Fawcett, a member of the Liberal-National coalition, to say that we support Israel and that we support peace in the region, and there is nothing to be ashamed about in standing together in that plight. 15:12 Senator BRAGG 256063 New South Wales In rising to take note of the answers given to questions today in the Senate, I say that it is not anyone's desire to make these matters that are not only matters of foreign policy but also very complicated domestic matters into matters that become political or partisan in any way. But it is the job of the opposition to point out where we believe the government of Australia has made mistakes and is taking the country in the wrong direction. In relation to the way in which the government has expressed itself in terms not only of foreign policy but also of domestic affairs, this is one area where we disagree with the government's approach, and we take issue with the weakness in the government's expression and the weakness in how it has been unprepared to defend Israel as it has fought off aggressive attacks from terrorists—people working with Hamas who took more than 1,200 lives in a single day and who have kept hundreds of people captive for 12 months. We take issue with the government's unwillingness to explain why it is that a country like Australia, a member of the liberal democratic order, a country of Western values, has not been prepared to argue the case that Israel and Australia have links through these systems that we have inherited from our forebears and that is why we have respected Israel's effort to repel these terrorists. It has also been a matter of great disappointment that we have pointed out on a number of occasions, including today in question time, that there have been some bizarre decisions made by this government. Why has it been prepared to fund organisations that have platformed extreme views here in our own country? Why has it been that people like Khaled Beydoun have been given visas to enter Australia—a person who has said in relation to 7 October that today is not a day that is full of mourning; today is a day that marks celebration? We are shocked that the Australian government would provide a visa to someone that wants to turn 7 October from a day of mourning into a day of celebration. The false equivalence that the government has made here between antisemitism and Islamophobia is also weakness. I know people who have felt more safe or would be more safe in Israel, as it has fought off aggressive attacks, than they feel in Sydney or Melbourne, and that is a shocking indictment for us to consider at this time. So there has been weakness in the expression of foreign policy and the false equivalence that the government has sought to place in relation to antisemitism and Islamophobia. The fact the government has not been prepared to ask the Iranian ambassador to leave Canberra is again more of the same. And then, of course, it is hugely regrettable to hear the left of politics with its obsession with Israel. It has no interest in any other foreign conflict. It has nothing to say about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, but it is obsessed with Israel as it fights off terrorists in the form of Hamas but also in the form of Hezbollah. That is the most disappointing thing. There is a fog which has descended on the left of Australian politics where it cannot see that Israel, as a fellow democracy, is fighting for its life against a slew of people that we would not want to do any business with. They are against humanity. That is the most disappointing thing—that the government has failed to articulate a strong case for Australia's moral position at home but also abroad. 15:18 Senator GROGAN 296331 South Australia I stand here with a very heavy heart—heavy for the pain of war in the Middle East and heavy for the unconscionable behaviour of those opposite and those in the Greens political party in this chamber. We on this side in the Labor Party unequivocally condemn all prejudice and hatred. There is no place in Australia for discrimination against people of any faith or background. As we mourn and reflect at this point in time, we also reaffirm a fundamental principle of our shared humanity: every innocent life matters. That's every Palestinian, that's every Israeli, and that's every Lebanese person. We on this side of the chamber are pressing for a ceasefire for increased humanitarian access, for the release of hostages and to prevent regional escalation. We urgently need diplomatic solutions. The Middle East needs to be de-escalated. There needs to be movement for de-escalation to prevent any further atrocities than what we have seen. As we are pressing for a ceasefire and pressing for civilians to be protected, the hostages must be released, and aid must flow. We're also calling for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, and those displaced civilians on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border must be able to safely return to their homes. Australia and our international partners have been really clear. We want to see peace now and we want to see the cycle of violence end. International law must be observed, and we all must do everything we can to seek to end this war. The dishonest lines of questioning that we have seen today by the coalition and the Greens as they fixate on politicising what is a human tragedy are, I think, disgraceful to this place, to this chamber. Cherry-picking elements of this devastating war for their own political purposes shows a total and utter lack of respect for the unbelievable pain, grief and loss across the Middle East and the impact that has on communities and families across the world and right here at home, in Australia. You should really be deeply ashamed of yourselves. As Senator Wong pointed out, Mr Burgess made some good comments that we should all really deeply consider the need to watch our language, the need to understand the direct connection between the words and the tone used and the actions that they then promote or insight in the broader elements of our community. As political leaders, we all need to think about the responsibility we have, the responsibility placed upon us when we were elected to this place, and think long and hard about what we say and how we say it. Ask yourself: Are you amplifying distress? Are your words inciting violence? Are you blatantly lying for your own political purposes? Are you seeking a solution to end the war? No, I don't think you are. But you should be. Are you actually just picking a side and joining in, when it is beholden upon us to be better than that, to rise above that and to seek peaceful international solutions? I say again, we unequivocally condemn all prejudice and hatred. There is no place in Australia for discrimination against people of any faith. We also reaffirm that fundamental principle of shared humanity. Every innocent life matters. And we need to show some leadership in this place and stop using this atrocious war for our political purposes. 15:22 Senator KOVACIC 306168 New South Wales I rise to take note of all answers to all coalition questions. It's been a challenging question time to sit through. Yesterday, many of us were involved in a series of different events around the country to respect the memory of the over 1,200 innocent people who were murdered on October 7. I think what concerns us all collectively is that there are still people that don't accept or acknowledge that what transpired on that day was grossly unacceptable, that what happened on that day was, in fact, an act of terrorism, a massacre of innocent people. What disturbs us and what was the context of many of our questions was that, instead of remembering and respecting that and allowing our Jewish communities to grieve yesterday, many groups still decided yesterday was an appropriate day to celebrate, to draw on the fact that there was something good they could point to as a result of October 7. Our questions pointed to the fact that that kind of position in Australia is unacceptable. I say that as a first generation Australian, someone who is a product of multicultural Australia and someone who understands the importance of living in harmony when the place that your own family came from doesn't have harmony. We're particularly concerned that there are extremist organisations talking about October 7 being a day of courage and a day of celebration, and we fairly question whether those organisations should be given government grants for different things. They are things that need to be answered and they are things that need to be understood. If those types of organisations are being given funding that is not being used appropriately, then we need to ensure that it never happens again. Let us be clear: we should not be funding organisations that support terrorism, and Hamas and Hezbollah are both listed terrorist organisations. If we go on to the national security website, they are clearly listed there, with definitions and explanations as to why. If there are people who come into our country, under the guise of any form of tourist visa or a holiday visa—whatever it is—and incite division and vilification, then that, too, should be unacceptable, and that relates to our questions about whether one of the individuals at one of the protests on the weekend will have his visa revoked. We have, for good reason, character requirements for visas, and they state very clearly that you are not of good character, in relation to that visa, if you harass, intimidate or stalk another person; vilify a segment of the Australian community; or incite discord in the Australian community or any part of it. They are the reasons for those questions, and answers to those questions are very important. I also note Senator Wong's comments around the need for us to consider our language—how it can inflame tensions, how it can inflame violence. I want to finish by pointing to the actions of the Australian Greens in holding up placards during question time. That doesn't help any of us. It doesn't help us achieve any good outcome, and it doesn't help the Australian Jewish community, who have suffered extraordinarily since October 7. It doesn't help any of the young women who were raped and mutilated and murdered on that day and whose only crime that day was being Jewish. Question agreed to. Middle East 35 15:27 Senator FARUQI 250362 New South Wales I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Wong) to a question without notice I asked today relating to Gaza. It's been 366 days of mass destruction and death by Israel. For one year, we have wiped each other's tears as we have seen thousands of children obliterated and tens of thousands of Palestinians massacred. For one year, we have come out on the streets, demanding action from our government to stop the genocide, to end the decades of occupation and apartheid. And, for one year, the complicit Labor government has done nothing but give full impunity to Israel to commit a brutal genocide in Gaza, then kill in the West Bank and then invade Lebanon and bomb Syria. Like many people in this country, my past year has been one of sleepless nights. Like many in this country, I have cried tears and I have been consumed by a roller-coaster of emotions: grief, anger, pain. We feel those emotions because we care about human suffering wherever it is. We care because that is what humanity is. I've also done everything I can to support the community, to push Labor to take action and to expose their hypocrisy, and I am proud that the Greens are the loudest voice in this place on justice for Palestine. As exhausting as it is, I will keep fighting for what is right. Those in this building who think this started and ended on October 7—they pick and choose victims. They pick and choose international law. They pick and choose who deserves justice and who doesn't. Unsurprisingly, the victims they see are always white and the villains are always brown. You are hypocrites, you are gaslighters and you are cowards. If even now you can't bring yourself to show an ounce of compassion for the Palestinians and Lebanese slaughtered by the Israeli killing machine, if you still can't even condemn those committing these war crimes, then you have no humanity. Instead of joining us on the streets, you call us the problem. You say we are the ones damaging social cohesion and lacking compassion for standing up against a genocide. It's the genocide that is the problem, not people who are protesting against it. You want us to shut up, sit down and sit back while Israel and the United States continue their destruction of the Middle East. Well, you are not only gutless and heartless; you are also on the wrong side of history. So guess what? We will keep showing up and we will keep speaking out until there is justice and peace. To those in this country who think colonialism is a thing of the past, think again. Colonialism is very much alive. Violent racism is very much alive. White supremacy is very much alive. It doesn't just exist at Neo-Nazi rallies. It wears expensive suits in this very building and it sits on editorial boards. We will not let colonialism dominate us. We will not let colonialism crush us. We want a government that represents us, the people, not the corporations, not the money, not the powerful lobbies. But this will never happen so long as the two old parties dominate. To those hurting in our community, let's keep turning our tears into action. Let's keep marching, disrupting and resisting until Palestine is free, because returning to the status quo is not an option. We will continue to fight every corporation, every politician and party, every media outlet, every weapons company—anyone who is complicit in a genocide. History will judge all of you in this building for the positions you took when Israel was committing a genocide. Those who stand by justice will always prevail. And we will prevail. Your legacies will crumble in the ruins of Gaza. Palestine will be free, inshallah. Question agreed to. NOTICES 36 NOTICES Presentation 36 15:32 Senator DAVID POCOCK 256136 Australian Capital Territory I give notice of my intention to withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2 relating to the disallowance of the Tax Agent Services (Code of Professional Conduct) Determination 2024. Presentation 36 BUSINESS 41 BUSINESS Rearrangement 41 15:33 Senator CHISHOLM 39801 Queensland I move: That private senators' bills be considered this week as follows: (a) on Wednesday, 9 October 2024—Competition and Consumer Amendment (Make Price Gouging Illegal) Bill 2024; and (b) on Thursday, 10 October 2024—Building and Construction Industry (Restoring Integrity and Reducing Building Costs) Bill 2024 and Housing Investment Probity Bill 2024. Question agreed to. NOTICES 41 NOTICES Postponement 41 15:33 The PRESIDENT 112096 If there's no objection, the business is postponed. CONDOLENCES 41 CONDOLENCES Dondas, Hon. Nicholas Manuel (Nick), AM 41 15:34 The 112096 PRESIDENT (): It is with deep regret I inform the Senate of the death on 9 September 2024 of the Hon. Nicholas Manuel 'Nick' Dondas AM, former member of the House of Representatives for the division of the Northern Territory from 1996 to 1998. BILLS 41 BILLS Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsideration of Decisions) Bill 2024 41

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsideration of Decisions) Bill 2024

First Reading 41 15:35 Senator COLBECK 00AOL Tasmania I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and for related purposes. Question agreed to. Senator COLBECK 00AOL I present the bill and move: That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bill read a first time. Second Reading 41 15:36 Senator COLBECK 00AOL Tasmania I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to table an explanatory memorandum relating to the bill. Leave granted. Senator COLBECK 00AOL I table an explanatory memorandum and seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsideration of Decisions) Bill 2024 seeks to strengthen the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and provide greater certainty to project proponents regarding their environmental approvals through the introduction of limitations on timeframes permissible for reconsideration of decisions. Under the current provisions for reconsideration of decisions within the Act, the request for reconsideration of a decision under section 78A does not provide limitations to, or restrictions on, the length of time allowed for an approval to be reconsidered. This bill rectifies these shortcomings. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsiderations of Decisions) Bill 2024 seeks to offer clear time limits and cut-off periods for decisions to be reconsidered and limits who is permitted to request such reconsideration to a minister within the state or self-governing territory where the relevant action is proposed to be taken. In doing so, the proposed amendments move to provide surety to industry, workers, and investors. This Bill looks to restore business confidence and a sense of security in enterprise that all Australian businesses and communities deserve. In 2012 it was determined, under subsection 75(1) of the Act that the proposed Marine Farming Expansion, at Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania was not a controlled action if undertaken in a particular manner. In November of last year, 11 years after this approval was given, Environment Minister Plibersek, at the behest of three activist groups: the Environmental Defenders Office, the Bob Brown Foundation and the Australia Institute, opened up this approval for consultation. In doing so, the Minister threw the entire Tasmanian salmon industry into an abyss of uncertainty and placed a $1 billion dollar industry under extreme threat; an industry that supports hundreds of jobs in many communities. And in doing so set a very concerning and potentially dangerous precedent. The re-opening of an environmental approval that had been in place for over a decade has significant and potentially catastrophic ramifications for every business, organisation and industry group currently operating under an environmental approval previously granted. While the immediate impact of Minister Plibersek's action is, of course, on the salmon industry, the decision to re-open this environmental approval creates uncertainty for every business in Australia dependent upon environment approvals. Every sector, business or enterprise using natural resources—mining, forestry, renewable energy, and agriculture—any requiring an EPBC approval now has diminished certainty. In the absence of clear timeframes and defined authorisation for decisions to be reconsidered in the current legislation, any group holding an ideological opposition to a certain industry or enterprise can appeal to a sympathetic minister to reconsider previously granted environmental approvals. This amendment places the long term and future reconsiderations of decisions within the domain and agency of a minister of the affected state or self-governing territory, where local and greater knowledge of the area can provide a balanced and constructive outcome for all interested parties of relevance. Early last year the Prime Minister, when addressing the National Press Club, declared the focus of his government to be providing stability, confidence and security. The Prime Minister made a point of including greater security in industry and jobs and wages. And yet, less than a year later, we see his Minister for the Environment and Water take a most damaging action which immediately shattered security in industry and jobs and wages. Again, endless demonstrations of incompetence from this government of broken promises, a government that does nothing to reassure business and industry but everything to inspire doubt and concern as it prolongs uncertainty over key project decisions and go-aheads. Industry deserves to operate in confidence and security, not with the environmental crusaders sword of Damocles hanging over them. Why would any company, industry or business consider investing in an Australian project when, at any point, their whole endeavour can be undermined at the behest of highly vocal but entirely unassociated groups, pushing their agenda without balance and in the process knee-capping economic growth and assurance. Investors need to proceed with certainty, and workers need to have certainty, and this Bill aims at providing such certainty, and assurance. The 2012 decision, giving the approval for marine farming expansion in Macquarie Harbour specifically acknowledged and took into consideration foreseen potential impacts to the Maugean skate. Monitoring, reporting, and management frameworks were established to this end. These measures, and their outcomes, demonstrate that there is no substantial information or substantial change in circumstances not anticipated at the time of the 2012 decision; there has not been a "substantial change in circumstances that was not foreseen" at the time of the 2012 decision relating to the impact the action has or will have or is likely to have. The Minister, therefore, does not need to reconsider the approval, and most certainly not an approval that has been in place for so long. Such a decision, combined with the recent highly questionable, very controversial and mysteriously secretive decision on the Regis Resources gold mine project would call in to question the motives of the Minister in adequately fulfilling all aspects and considerations of her portfolio. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsideration of Decisions) Bill 2024 is about providing surety, ensuring balance in decision-making and instilling confidence in industry, in investment, and in the communities that benefit from strong and assured commerce. To be clear—it is this minister and this government that has created a troubling precedent with the manoeuvring around the Macquarie Harbour approval. And it is this minister and this government who, although they promised certainty, have created untold levels of uncertainty. This bill would return certainty. Senator COLBECK 00AOL I seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted; debate adjourned. DOCUMENTS 43 DOCUMENTS Department of the Treasury, Department of Home Affairs 43 Order for the Production of Documents 43 15:36 Senator ASKEW 281558 Tasmania I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 639, relating to an order for the production of documents. Leave granted. Senator ASKEW 281558 I amend the motion in the terms circulated in the chamber and, at the request of Senator Henderson, move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Treasurer or the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, as applicable, by no later than 5 pm on 9 October 2024, a copy of the document or documents which includes the following data: (a) the number of student visas applied for, issued and rejected in the years 2019 and 2022 on a month-by-month basis, by number, broken down into each sub-category of visa (ie school, public university, private higher education provider, private vocational and education training (VET) provider etc.); (b) the number of current or former student visa holders who have lodged a protection visa application for each month, for each of the calendar years 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024; (c) the number of current or former student visa holders who have lodged an appeal to a refusal or cancellation for each month, for each of the calendar years 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024; (d) with respect to net overseas migration (NOM) as forecast in the 2024-25 Federal Budget, the sub-components which make up the NOM forecasts being overseas migrant arrivals by visa and citizenship group as well as the overseas migrant departures by visa and citizenship group; (e) within the 'student—higher education' category of the NOM forecasts as set out in the 2024-25 Federal Budget, the breakdown between the students attending public universities, private higher education providers and private VET providers; and (f) Treasury's current internal working calculations of the NOM. Question agreed to. MOTIONS 43 MOTIONS Gambling Advertising 43 15:37 The PRESIDENT 112096 I remind senators that, after 4.30 pm on Thursday, 19 September 2024, a division was called on a motion moved by Senator David Pocock concerning gambling advertising. I understand it suits the convenience of the Senate for the deferred vote to be held now. (Quorum formed) 15:40 Senator McKIM JKM Tasmania A mea culpa from me: I had intended to support the question that you put. I acknowledge that in fact there were no voices for the ayes, but I do ask as a courtesy to the chamber whether you'd consider recommitting that question to us. Senator Urquhart 231199 It is Senator Pocock's deferred vote, so I would seek an explanation as to why Senator Pocock wasn't in here to actually move it. Senator David Pocock 256136 I'm happy to oblige. I assumed that it would just come to a vote given that it was a deferred division when we couldn't take a division, and I was off to a ministerial briefing on legislation. I apologise. I would very much appreciate if we could have a division. The PRESIDENT 112096 Senator Pocock, it did come to a vote. The vote was taken, and the vote was lost. But Senator McKim has sought leave to re-put the vote. Leave has been granted, so that's what I intend to do. The deferred vote from 19 September was on a motion moved by Senator David Pocock concerning gambling advertising. The question is that that motion be agreed to.    

The Senate divided. [15:46]
(The President—Senator Lines)

16 AYES Allman-Payne, P. J. Cox, D. Faruqi, M. Hanson-Young, S. C. Hodgins-May, S. Lambie, J. McKim, N. J. Payman, F. Pocock, B. Pocock, D. W. (Teller) Rennick, G. Shoebridge, D. Steele-John, J. A. Thorpe, L. A. Van, D. A. Waters, L. J. 25 NOES Antic, A. Askew, W. (Teller) Babet, R. Bilyk, C. L. Brown, C. L. Chisholm, A. Ciccone, R. Colbeck, R. M. Darmanin, L. Duniam, J. R. Ghosh, V. Green, N. L. Grogan, K. Lines, S. McLachlan, A. L. O'Neill, D. M. Polley, H. Pratt, L. C. Sheldon, A. V. Smith, M. F. Sterle, G. Stewart, J. N. A. Tyrrell, T. M. Urquhart, A. E. Walsh, J. C. 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.

 MATTERS OF URGENCY 44 MATTERS OF URGENCY Climate Change 44 15:48 The PRESIDENT 112096 I inform the Senate that I have received the following letter, dated 8 October 2024, from Senator McKim: Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today the Australian Greens propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency: The Albanese Government is fuelling the climate and extinction crises by approving three coal mines that will destroy hundreds of hectares of threatened species habitat and lock in 1.4 billion tonnes of climate pollution out until the 2060s." Is consideration of the proposal supported? More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places— The PRESIDENT 112096 With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clock in line with informal arrangements made by the whips. 15:49 Senator HANSON-YOUNG I0U South Australia I move: That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency: The Albanese Government is fuelling the climate and extinction crises by approving three coal mines that will destroy hundreds of hectares of threatened species habitat and lock in 1.4 billion tonnes of climate pollution out until the 2060s. I rise to speak in this debate. Of course, we've seen many promises made by the Albanese government in relation to things that they would do during their time in charge of this nation's laws and, time and time again, what we see is that, when it comes to the environment, when it comes to nature, when it comes to climate, they continue to break those promises over and over again. Despite the fact that this government has promised to stop further extinctions of our precious wildlife and stop making the climate crisis worse, last week we saw this country's environment minister approve the expansion of coalmines, including a coalmine directly hosted on the land of critical koala habitat. Koalas in this country are facing extinction, and I say this very solemnly and very clearly on the same day that our environment minister is hosting a global summit here in Australia about the need to be nature positive. Well, let me tell you that there is nothing nature positive about killing koalas. There is nothing nature positive about making the climate crisis worse by making more fossil fuel pollution. There is nothing nature positive when it comes to native forest logging. There is nothing nature positive about clearing and bulldozing hectare after hectare of critical koala habitat. It is an absolute international disgrace that this government has the gall to host a global summit called 'nature positive' while, in the same week, destroying and allowing the destruction of koala habitat and our environment. The world loves Australia's koalas. The world knows that the koala is a symbol of the unique biodiversity of Australia. Koalas symbolise our forests, our coastline and our connection with land and country, yet we have the environment minister signing off on the destruction, because the laws don't stop her. The laws allow the environment minister to agree that a big coal company can come and bulldoze precious woodland and native forest to make way for more fossil fuels at the expense of our wildlife and our environment. What on earth is going on in this government? On one hand you've got the environment minister saying that she wants Australia to be a leader when it comes to being nature positive; on the other hand you've got the Prime Minister, whenever he can get a chance, taking his jet over to WA to tell Gina Rinehart and the fossil fuel industry that they can keep going hell for leather. Dig more, burn more, make more profit—at the expense of our environment, at the expense of our climate, and at the expense of Australia's international reputation. This nature positive summit should be called 'nature negative'. It's been a flop, and it's been a flop because this government does not have the courage of its convictions and won't do what is needed. Our environment laws are so terribly broken that they allow loggers to keep on logging native forest, despite the swift parrot. They allow loggers to keep logging, despite the danger to koalas. They allow coalmines and gas mines to open and expand at a time when world scientists say that we can't keep having more. These laws allow big companies to ride roughshod over the rights of Indigenous and First Nations communities. (Time expired) 15:54 Senator DUNIAM 263418 Tasmania As ever, I am delighted to be able to contribute to this debate today, one that reeks of hypocrisy and with all sorts of falsehoods being peddled again in this place, trying to whip up Australians into a sense of alarm and feeling like the world is about to end tomorrow. It's just madness to suggest, based on everything we have just heard, that this motion in any way should be supported today. Frankly, to put in a silo consideration of environmental impact on any development to the exclusion of economic and social impacts is bad policymaking and bad decision-making. The coalition, for one, doesn't think that's the right approach. But if you were to read this motion and follow it through to its natural conclusion and we didn't have coalmines or any other developments taking place I just wonder what sort of economic impact there would be. I wonder what would it mean for jobs, power prices and the hospitals that rely on energy to actually do what it is they need to do. I don't think that comes into the considerations of the Australian Greens when they move these motions. It's interesting, though. We read this motion and it talks about this terrible, dastardly Albanese government: … fuelling the climate and extinction crises by approving 3 coal mines that will destroy hundreds of hectares of threatened species habitat and lock in 1.4 billion tonnes of climate pollution out until the 2060s. Why didn't they move such a motion when the dastardly Albanese Labor government decided to roll out 28,000 kilometres of high-tension electricity power networks across our countryside, removing hillsides of natural vegetation and depriving these poor koalas of their habitats that these powerlines will remove, or when wind farms scraped the tops off mountains when they were put in place? Oh, I know why—it's okay to do it for certain projects but not others. It's a bit like when the rather less-than-impressive Premier of Victoria said, when the environment minister rightly knocked on the head the port terminal in the Port of Hastings for the offshore wind zone, that the Labor government in Victoria will stop at nothing to get this wind farm built, even if—and this was the reason the port terminal was knocked on the head—the port is built in a Ramsar listed wetland, a fragile part of the world. But, according to that premier in Victoria, a Labor premier, it doesn't matter if we trash the planet to save the environment. What hypocrisy! There are people in this place who have responsibility for environmental impacts who have themselves overseen the destruction of the environment, which is why I use the word 'hypocrisy'. Nothing reeks of hypocrisy more than people who are willing to support a motion of this nature but turn a blind eye to their own activities. Honestly! But, again, I'll come back to this general proposition. We've a country where the economy is slowing, where jobs are hard to secure, where the cost of living is out of control and where the cost of doing business and being able to make ends meet, frankly, is not in any way competitive with elsewhere around the world. We then have these motions which would, as I said before, taken to their natural conclusion, just drive up the cost of doing business. If it becomes more expensive to do business in this country, the jobs in those businesses will be less secure. When jobs are less secure and people don't have take-home pay that they can rely on, they struggle to pay their mortgage, they can't pay their power bills and they can't keep food on the table. This is the problem with this sort of thinking. It's great to be paid every fortnight by the taxpayer and not worry at all about what regular Australians out there who don't have the same benefits are dealing with. That's what this motion is all about—turning a blind eye to the real-world problems that Australians, be they business owners, mums and dads or ordinary Australians, and most households are dealing with. Not once in that contribution from the Australian Greens, the movers of this motion, did we hear any reference to 'cost-of-living crisis'. Not once did we hear any reference to bringing down the cost of electricity. The reason why is that they don't care about those issues. Ideologically, they pursue these ones, with no regard for what impact they would have on a regular Australian household. So I say to most Australians: understand that, when we vote against these motions, we are doing it in your interests. 15:59 Senator URQUHART 231199 Tasmania The government rejects this motion from the Greens. Our government has extended three existing operations. These are not new projects. Our government will continue to consider each project on a case-by-case basis and against the safeguard mechanism. This is the emissions reduction policy that the Greens political party voted for, the policy about which Senator Hanson-Young said, 'Because of this policy, emissions will go down, not up.' Minister Plibersek was the first Australian minister in history to block a coalmine. She blocked Clive Palmer's big Queensland coalmine that could have leaked pollution into the Great Barrier Reef. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, is responsible for the safeguard mechanism. I understand, when some in this place focus on individual projects, they miss the big picture, and the big picture here is a massive shift in our sources of energy and our economy. The sad truth is that, when the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens political party teamed up to delay climate action, it put renewables way behind. I understand why the Greens political party are sensitive. The Greens might regret teaming up with the Liberals to kill off Labor's carbon pollution reduction scheme. The Greens might regret that teaming up with the Liberals led to $80 million extra tonnes of carbon pollution. The Greens might regret teaming up with the Liberals to put renewables years behind. And, if the Greens want action on renewables, they should point out that nuclear is a diversion, a guarantee of more coal for longer. The good news is we, over on this side, the Labor government, are working overtime to catch Australia up. Under Labor, we will see 40 per cent of our power come from renewable sources this year. The environment minister is ticking off renewable energy projects at record rates. Our government has green lit 63 renewable projects in just over two years, enough to power over seven million Australian homes. We also have record numbers of renewable energy projects in the approval pipeline. To deliver cheaper power bills and cleaner energy for Australians the best thing everyone in this place can do is back Labor's renewable energy boom. 16:02 Senator DAVID POCOCK 256136 Australian Capital Territory Is anyone else feeling like we've just given up on the climate? It's like everyone has run out of steam, and we don't have the energy to care anymore. Scientists have raised every flag they possibly can, warned us time and time again, and yet I feel like energy and ambition for climate action is fading. I know many people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. I know there are conflicts around the globe causing so much heartache and pain. I know the systematic spread of disinformation by fossil fuel companies makes it exhausting to have these conversations over and over again. But please don't give up on the climate, because our climate connects all of us. It keeps us safe. This is about protecting the people and places we love and the things that make us who we are. This is about protecting ourselves, at the end of the day. Future generations will judge us on our actions today, and it is up to us, as leaders, to have the courage to make hard decisions that are right for our future. But we're not seeing courage from the government. In fact, approving three coalmine expansions last week shows the opposite. It shows a weakness and an unwillingness to stand up to vested interests and protect young Australians from a future shaped by climate change. So I'm asking you all to please keep showing up. Keep raising the need for climate action with your elected representatives. Demand real change so we don't sleepwalk into a future that we will all regret. And I'll be right there with you, raising your voice in this chamber. We've seen time and time again the Labor government talk about the transition, talk about the great things that they are doing when it comes to investing in renewables, in industries of the future. And, to their credit, they have a range of policies in that area, which I welcome—and I spoke earlier about the Future Made in Australia. But, at the same time, they're in here doing the bidding of Woodside, Santos and Chevron, companies with business models built upon not taking climate action. That is totally negligent in the face of what we know—and not just in the face of what we know but in the face of what we are seeing around the world, with record temperatures being set and with weather that climate scientists are looking at in horror. I introduced a bill to this place that would legislate a duty of care to young people and future generations. The Liberals, the Nationals and the Labor Party don't like it. They don't think that it should proceed, despite the Labor Party's criticism of the former government when the latter argued that they don't have a duty of care to young people or to future generations. If we're not here to make decisions that are good for young people, what are we here for? What are we doing if we're not in here actually taking into account how this will affect young Australians and even unborn Australians—future generations? What are our decisions doing for them? It's incredibly disappointing to hear all the rhetoric from the Labor government and yet, when it comes to meaningful reform on climate and the environment, see them doing the bare minimum and saying, 'Well, it's better than the coalition.' That bar is so low you could step over it, no jumping required. It's no longer an excuse, and we're going to see Australians say: 'We want elected representatives who will take this seriously and who will actually act in the best interests of Australians now and Australians in the future.' 16:07 Senator FARUQI 250362 New South Wales What is the point of an environment minister when there is nothing positive about her actions on nature? The world is burning. The globe is boiling. The alarm bells are ringing. The red alert on the climate crisis has been sounding for years now. It's clear what needs to be done: no new fossil fuels. The planet cannot handle more extraction, more burning, more destruction and more devastation. And there are no jobs on a dead planet. But what does the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, do? She approves coalmine after coalmine, gas project after gas project, and refuses to end native forest logging. Two weeks ago, the environment minister outdid herself by approving three coalmine expansions in my home state of New South Wales—two in the Hunter Valley and one in Narrabri. In just one day, Labor gave approval to the release of 1.4 billion tonnes of climate pollution until 2060. That's three times Australia 's annual emissions over the lifetime of these coal projects, in the midst of a climate crisis. These climate bombs will destroy hundreds of hectares of threatened species' habitat. On the very same day that the environment minister announced three new coalmine expansions, she posted more photos on social media, this time with bilbies in the Sturt National Park. This is hypocrisy to the highest level. The environment minister is so fond of photos of native animals and cuddly koalas. I'm not sure if she realises that, if she keeps approving coalmines, the only koalas left will be the stuffed variety in a museum. The decision to approve three new coal projects in a single day is environmental and ecological vandalism. While the coalition denies the science, the Labor government refuses to do what the science tells us to do. What a complete betrayal of science, the environment and the people who voted for climate action. The Prime Minister is shaking hands with Pacific leaders one week, and his environment minister is signing away their future the next. Our Pacific neighbours have water lapping at their doors, and this government is too captured by coal and gas corporations to do anything. The latest coal project approvals are climate-wrecking actions that will kill the planet, rob young people of their futures and create havoc for communities here and around the world. What is the point of the environment minister, who makes decisions that are the polar opposite of climate action? There is no point. 16:10 Senator ROBERTS 266524 Queensland The Greens misinformation on coal has gone on long enough. Fifty thousand Australians rely directly on the coal industry for their livelihood. Given the services to coalmines, add another 50,000 people that coal keeps afloat in mining communities—actually, it's much, much more than an additional 50,000, with a reported multiplier across Australia of six times the number of jobs directly from mines. They're communities that, if this unscientific rubbish from the Greens goes on much longer, the Greens will decimate. Modern coal plants are free from particulates and noxious gases. The only thing that leaves their steam stacks is water vapour and carbon dioxide: nature's fertilisers. Australian and international firms now offer a process to capture those gases and convert them to productive things like fertiliser, AdBlue and ethanol—some things that the Greens will need so they can keep blasting the tops off mountains for wind turbines; that's explosives. With this new capture and conversion technology, coal uses fewer resources and has a smaller environmental footprint than any nature-dependent power the Greens can advocate. Coal is not damaging to the environment. To those who post photos online of coalmines, alleging environmental vandalism and that the planet is boiling, please tell the whole story and please tell the truth. Coalmines are rehabilitated after use. A few moments ago I posted a link to the New Hope Group's website, showing the remediation of their coalmines that I've personally inspected. It's beautiful green countryside supporting thousands of cattle and in turn supporting rural communities. Mines remediate; that is fact. And damage from wind turbines and their access road construction is permanent; that is fact. Under current legislation, mining must pay into a bond fund to pay for remediation. No such provision exists for the net zero madness. Once this orgy of taxpayer and electricity-user subsidies is exhausted, these solar and wind companies will sell their installations into a shell company and scoot on back to whatever foreign tax haven in which they're based. On humanitarian and environmental grounds, One Nation opposes this reckless, destructive Greens motion. Taxpayers will be left to clean up the mess. Communities will be destroyed, and it will cost electricity users and taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more to clean up after this insane green nightmare. 16:12 Senator McKIM JKM Tasmania As usual, from Senator Roberts, that was a contribution completely lacking in science and completely lacking in compassion. Since Labor came to power two years ago, they have approved 26 new coal and gas projects in Australia. I want to step back and look at the context within which those 26 new coal and gas approvals from Labor, in just two years, have occurred. For the 10,000 years prior to the Industrial Revolution, we were on a pretty constant 280 parts per million of CO2 in the earth's atmosphere. In 1958, when observations started in Hawaii, we were on 315 parts per million. So from the Industrial Revolution to 1958, when we were at 315 parts per million, it's an increase of about 35 parts per million. From 1958 to 2024—we find ourselves today at over 420 parts per million. Between 1960 and 1970, the rate of increase of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere was less than one part per million per year, and the rate of increase now is over 2.5 parts per million per year. We are failing. We are collectively failing, and billions of people are going to pay the price. The only antidote to this depressing fact is action and disruption. We have to disrupt and we have to act. If we don't disrupt, billions of people are going to pay the price. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT I0T The question is that the motion moved by Senator McKim be agreed to.    

The Senate divided. [16:19]
(The Acting Deputy President—Senator Pratt)

 12 AYES Allman-Payne, P. J. Cox, D. Faruqi, M. Hanson-Young, S. C. Hodgins-May, S. McKim, N. J. (Teller) Pocock, B. Pocock, D. W. Shoebridge, D. Steele-John, J. A. Thorpe, L. A. Waters, L. J. 26 NOES Ayres, T. Babet, R. Bilyk, C. L. Brown, C. L. Chandler, C. Chisholm, A. Colbeck, R. M. Darmanin, L. Duniam, J. R. Ghosh, V. Green, N. L. Grogan, K. Hanson, P. L. O'Neill, D. M. O'Sullivan, M. A. (Teller) Polley, H. Pratt, L. C. Roberts, M. I. Scarr, P. M. Sharma, D. N. Sheldon, A. V. Smith, M. F. Sterle, G. Stewart, J. N. A. Urquhart, A. E. Walsh, J. C. 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.

 Iran 48 16:21 The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT I0T I inform the Senate that the President has received the following letter, dated 8 October 2024, from Senator Chandler: Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency: The need for the Albanese Government to act in response to the Islamic Republic of Iran's widespread sponsoring of terrorism, promotion of antisemitism, and oppression of its people by listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and declaring the current Iranian Ambassador to Australia persona non grata." Is the proposal supported? More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT I0T With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clocks in line with informal arrangements made by the whips. 16:21 Senator CHANDLER 264449 Tasmania I move: That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency: The need for the Albanese Government to act in response to the Islamic Republic of Iran's widespread sponsoring of terrorism, promotion of antisemitism, and oppression of its people by listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and declaring the current Iranian Ambassador to Australia persona non grata. Yesterday, we marked one year since the horrific October 7 terrorist attacks in which Hamas terrorists, funded and supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, slaughtered more than 1,200 innocent civilians in Israel in cold blood. The vast majority of Australians were shocked and appalled by this barbaric mass murder and stood with the people of Israel in their grief and mourning, but the unfortunate reality is that there was a minority in this country who welcomed and celebrated 7 October. Many of us recognised on that very first day following the October 7 attacks that there was an attempt underway, both in Australia and around the world, to cast this terrorist action as a legitimate resistance, to justify hatred of Jewish people as anti-Zionism and to absolve Hamas and other terrorist groups of blame by painting Israel as the aggressor. There is no question—and there has never been any question—that the Islamic Republic of Iran regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are front and centre in coordinating, funding, planning and supporting the terrorism which its proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis perpetrate not only against Israel but against innocent civilians right across the Middle East. The abhorrent behaviour of the IRI regime is nothing new. More than 18 months ago, the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, which I chair, handed down a report making 12 recommendations to hold the IRI regime accountable for its appalling human rights abuses, its promotion of terrorism and its unlawful intimidation, monitoring and harassment of Australians. The Albanese government not only took eight months to even respond to that report but, when it did, refused to accept 10 of the 12 recommendations. Let's be very clear: we know that the IRI regime supports and funds terrorism; we know the IRI regime deliberately promotes antisemitism to grow support for attacks against Israel and to recruit for its proxies; we know the regime and its terror proxies deliberately spend the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza and Lebanon as part of its strategy to attack Israel; and we know that the regime has agents working in this country to target its own critics. There is only one message that Australia should be sending to a foreign regime which undertakes these actions, and that is that we do not tolerate any support for terrorism or terrorists, and we do not tolerate any promotion of vile, dangerous antisemitism. Answer this question. What sends a stronger message that we have zero tolerance for terrorism: listing the IRGC as a terror organisation or briefing the media that the government doesn't want to list the IRGC as a terror organisation in case that reduces its dialogue with the regime? What sends a stronger message that we do not tolerate antisemitism and the praising of terrorists than expelling the Iranian ambassador, who has repeatedly done so and has pointedly ignored the requests from DFAT officials to stop doing it? The dangerous message that the Albanese government has sent to the regime is that it won't list the IRGC as terrorists, no matter how many terrorist attacks they plan and carry out, and it won't expel the Iranian ambassador, no matter how blatantly he seeks to foster support for terrorism and promote antisemitism in our community. Instead, we see once again this weak government respond to unacceptable behaviour from the Iranian ambassador by delegating a DFAT official to have a discussion with him. This is a regime which wants to be able to behave as it pleases and deter other countries from standing up to it by taking action. Calling in the ambassador for a polite chat with an official is not a response which sends a message to the regime. It is a response which the Australian government knows full well the regime can live with and can respond to in kind by calling in our ambassador, as it did this week in Tehran. That's why DFAT has had more than 20 of these conversations with Iranian officials over the last two years, and it has had precisely zero impact on curtailing the regime and the ambassador's behaviour. We hear constantly from the government the benefits of its dialogue with the Iranian regime, but it is clear to everyone paying attention that this dialogue is achieving nothing to rein in the regime's behaviour. Even worse, it is being used as leverage by this regime to prevent the Albanese government from taking action to list the IRGC and expel the Iranian ambassador. 16:26 Senator AYRES 16913 New South Wales The government's not in a position to support this urgency motion, and Senator Chandler could not be more wrong. The opposition is well aware of the interest that the Australian government is seeking to manage in its diplomatic relationship with Iran. We maintain diplomatic relations with Iran because it's in Australia's national interest to do so, and it is in the interests of our closest strategic partners. I say that in an opaque way because that's as much as can be asserted here. But Senator Chandler knows all this, because it's not just Senator Birmingham and Senator Paterson who have been briefed by the government in relation to these issues. We paid Senator Chandler herself the respect of briefing her directly. She knows what the position is, yet she continues with the most grossly irresponsible approach on these questions. I suspect this is because it means a fleeting amount of attention and a fleeting amount of political advantage for her. She knows all these questions because she has been briefed. The fact that she continues in this vein is contemptible. For somebody who seeks future leadership roles in foreign affairs and geostrategic affairs to continue with this line of argument while they have been briefed is utterly irresponsible. There is a letter from the foreign minister to the shadow minister for foreign affairs, urging the opposition to not proceed today with this motion. Why? It is because politicking—crass, base partisan politics—around this question undermines the Australian national interest. Yet Senator Paterson, again, enables the far right in the Liberal and National parties, who are utterly reckless about the national interest, to continue with this proposition. Fine. We all agree with some of the propositions that Senator Chandler has advanced. I don't think anybody across the chamber would disagree that Iran plays a profoundly destabilising role—that's the kindest way of putting it—in the region. But there is a set of reasons that go to Australia's security and the security of our partners, and it is utterly reckless for Senator Chandler to continue with this. Lives are in the balance. The Australian government's approach on these questions is mobilised by the national interest proposition, not pandering to some section of the community, which has characterised 100 per cent of the Liberal and National parties' approach on these questions. Opposition senators interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT I0T Come to order. Senator Chandler. Senator Chandler 264449 I ask that senators direct their comments through you, as I did. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT I0T Thank you, Senator Chandler. Senator Ayres, please direct your comments through the acting deputy president. Senator AYRES 16913 What the Senate chamber is being asked to deal with here is not the question about the shameful behaviour of the dictatorship in Iran. It is really being asked to deal with the question of the national interest versus the partisan interest, and what qualifies or disqualifies an alternative party of government from having that role is: are you prepared to put the national interest ahead of the partisan interest? If we're going to go to the issue of performance, the previous government had nine years to take a hard line about these questions. There was not one sanction and not one piece of meaningful action. Iran was appointed to the Human Rights Committee, and there was no noise from the previous government. It is all just bluster and hot air, and it's hot air that undermines the Australian national interest almost every time they open their mouths on a foreign policy question. 16:31 Senator STEELE-JOHN 250156 Western Australia Less than a month ago we were here in the Senate marking the two-year anniversary of the murder of Mahsa Jina Amini at the hands of the Iranian regime. I spoke about the violence and the terror that the people of Iran are subject to and the staggering number of sham trials and state executions conducted by the Iranian regime against their own people. Women in Iran are subject to particularly horrendous oppression and violence. This treatment drove the Women, Life, Freedom movement, which was not mentioned once in the opposition's motion. You can't talk about the human rights abuses of the Iranian regime without talking about the oppression of women or discrimination against the Kurds or suppression of political protest. Yet today the opposition, very clearly, are not interested in talking about the very real crimes of the Iranian regime. They are interested in amplifying the war drums being beaten in certain parts of the media. We oppose in the strongest possible terms any illegal retaliation by the State of Israel on Iran, as we oppose any such further action by Iran on Israel. All parties involved must de-escalate. The Australian Greens have been consistent in our calls for the Australian government to listen to the Iranian community and place pressure on the regime, including listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. We absolutely condemn the Iranian regime, but we will not be party to the blatant warmongering that is implicit in this motion. I therefore seek leave to amend the motion in the terms circulated in the chamber in my name. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT I0T Is leave granted? Leave not granted. Senator STEELE-JOHN 250156 Well, there you have it. We have sought to amend this motion to be something that we were able to support. Unfortunately, that leave has not been granted. Because of this, we will be abstaining on this motion. I reiterate the deep respect that I and the Australian Greens have for those in the Iranian prisons who are putting their lives on the line for change in Iran. We are in solidarity with these brave protesters and will continue to work with the movement here in Australia and to call out the human rights abuses being perpetrated by the Iranian regime. 16:34 Senator SCARR 282997 Queensland First, with respect to the vile actions of the Iranian regime and, in particular, the glaring omission made by Australia in continuing not to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, I'd like to give heartfelt thanks to Senator Chandler for consistently prosecuting these issues in this place. Senator Ayres talked about the national interest. I suggest that he come to my home state of Queensland and talk to the Iranian diaspora about the national interest. They're proud Australians, and I'll tell you what their view of the national interest is: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be declared a terrorist organisation because it is a terrorist organisation. It supports Hamas. It supports Hezbollah. It supports terrorist activity all over the world. Yet the Australian government continues to fail to register the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. The United States has registered it as a terrorist organisation. Canada has registered it as a terrorist organisation. Lithuania has registered it as a terrorist organisation. Why? Because it is a terrorist organisation. We hear this limp excuse that, because the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is so closely connected to the Iranian regime, there is some issue in the law which prevents it from being listed as a terrorist organisation. I have risen repeatedly in this place to say: 'If there is a technical legal reason, come and work with us and we will solve that reason, because the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be registered as a terrorist organisation.' That's the first point. This is the second point. Senator Ayres, if you're listening to this, come back into this place and tell me how it is in the national interest for Australia to continue to accept the presence in this country of a diplomatic official—I don't care what country they're from—who continues to spew hatred and vile comments whilst being given the diplomatic immunity attached to being in this country. How is it possibly in Australia's national interest for a diplomat to come into this country and spew out vile hatred, especially at this of all times? How is that in our national interest? Surely it is in Australia's national interest to draw a line and say 'enough'. How many times does a diplomatic official from any country have to be dragged in and counselled with respect to the fact that they should not be engaging in hate speech and should not be making odious, vile comments before we say that that official is persona non grata—a person not acceptable to be in this country or to represent the interests of any foreign nation? How many times, Senator Ayres, will you accept that official coming in and making vile, hate-driven comments before you say it's not in the national interest for that diplomat to be in this country? Answer that question for me, Senator Ayres. I'm baffled by your contribution to the debate in regard to that. As for the Greens—and this isn't typical, I should say—they propose an amendment to the motion that would change it from, 'The need for the Albanese government to act in response to the Islamic Republic of Iran's widespread sponsoring of terrorism,' to, 'The need for the Albanese government to urgently consider further actions.' There's no further consideration required. The Australian government needs to act. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be proscribed as a terrorist organisation because it is a terrorist organisation. The Iranian diplomatic official should be declared persona non grata because he is engaged in the most vile speech imaginable whilst having diplomatic immunity in this country. It is not in our national interest that he continue to be in this country, and the Iranian government should be sent a message in regard to that in the strongest terms possible. I commend Senator Chandler on this motion. 16:39 Senator RENNICK 283596 Queensland I rise to pass some remarks on this motion. While I definitely condemn the widespread sponsoring of terrorism, I think it's very important that we reflect on the West's actual role in sponsoring terrorism in the Middle East over the last 70 years. In my lifetime, I saw the illegal invasion of Iraq and the death of what is estimated to be a million people in Iraq. I've never seen any accountability by governments in the West for the actions they caused there. And then we go to Iran: what happened in Iran, and why is Iran the country it is today? There was a president of Iran, Mohammad Mosaddegh, who cared deeply for his people, and he wanted those oil interests of Iran to be in Iranian hands. Yet the British, under Churchill, and the Americans, under Eisenhower—and I'm not sure how much Eisenhower knew about this, because there is a widespread pattern of coups whenever presidents take over, in their first year. These coups include Iran in 1953, Suez Canal in 1956, the Bay of Pigs when Kennedy got in, and Johnson in 1965 with Vietnam. The point of the matter is that the CIA overthrew a democratic leader in Iran who wanted to fight for his people and make sure that his country got royalties for those oil sales. That led, of course, to the Shah and his oppressive regime, which led to the overthrow, in 1979, of the Shah and what we've got today. I've been to Iran. It's a beautiful country with beautiful people. I've been to Israel as well. I don't support any terrorism, but I think we need to be careful about taking a stand and being self-righteous about this when we've contributed ourselves. 16:41 Senator SHARMA 274506 New South Wales As someone who was a diplomat in their former life, generally speaking I support the maintenance of diplomatic relations. I support having dialogue with countries with whom we can have quite deep disagreements. But that support and that worldview have limits, and I believe, in this instance, the Iranian ambassador has grossly exceeded those limits. We heard Senator Ayres play a national interest card before, a mysterious national interest card about the unspoken and unwritten value or utility of Australia's relationship with Iran. Well, I do know what that value and utility is, but I also put a value and utility on social cohesion and social harm in Australia. That is also an important national interest. This motion does not urge or suggest the severing of diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. It suggests quite clearly a strong expression of displeasure with the particular ambassador they have chosen to send us and the way he has sought to insert himself in domestic political discussions—in a way that has only inflamed community opinion, sharpened social divisions, encouraged some of the hate speech we have seen on our streets and grossly interfered in the domestic affairs of a country. Having served as an ambassador myself overseas, I know your role is, of course, to represent and put forward your own country's views privately, diplomatically, often behind closed doors and, at times, to advocate your country's views in public. But you do not seek to do that in a way that inserts itself needlessly aggressively—provocatively, indeed—in another country's domestic political debates, and you certainly do not use the immunity and protections that your office affords you to call for things which would otherwise be unlawful. We have had the Iranian ambassador publicly urging—this isn't something that he was rumoured to have been overheard saying at a cocktail party—using digital platforms, there for the world to see, to wipe out the Zionists from Palestinian holy lands and to praise Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of a listed terrorist organisation, as a remarkable leader. All the while, we in Australia are dealing with an outbreak in antisemitism and hostility directed at the Jewish community that we have not seen before, and comments such as these by the ambassador are seeking only to inflame the domestic political situation. I can tell you that, if the Australian Ambassador in Tehran were making comments that were even one-tenth or one-fiftieth as interventionist as these in Iran, he would be packing his bags and sent home within hours. We have a situation here in Australia where the Albanese government is quite happy to summons the Israeli ambassador and urge them—indeed, more than urge them: dictate to them that, if they seek to use force to respond to aggression from the terrorist organisation Hezbollah, they will not have Australia's support. That was the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs summonsing the Israeli ambassador in June. But when the Iranian ambassador makes comments such as he has made about wiping out Zionists from the Palestinian holy lands and praising Hassan Nasrallah, we have weak commentary from the Prime Minister. We had after a period of days, eventually, an official from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade call in the Iranian ambassador and give them a mild dressing-down. They are laughing at us. We have a national interest, which Senator Ayres is so fond of quoting: we have a national interest in ensuring that diplomats present to Australia do not actively seek to undermine our social fabric, our social norms, the rule of law and the respect and tolerance we show all member for all faiths and communities in Australia. That is the national interest that this government should be standing up for. That is why this government should heed this motion. This ambassador is on notice. He has been called in twice already because of public pressure, because of pressure from the opposition. They should tell him and tell the Iranian government he is no longer welcome in Australia as Iran's diplomatic representative. They should find someone else to send who is not going to actively seek to stir up Australians or incite vilification, racial division and hatred. Question negatived. MOTIONS 52 MOTIONS Israel Attacks: First Anniversary 52 16:47 Senator WONG 00AOU South Australia I move: That the Senate— (a) reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of Hamas' terror attacks on Israel which took place on 7 October 2023, in which more than 1,200 innocent Israelis were killed, the largest loss of Jewish life on any single day since the Holocaust; (b) recognises that hundreds more innocent people were subjected to brutality and violence on that day; (c) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages; (d) condemns the murder of hostages and the inhumane conditions and violence, including sexual violence, that hostages have experienced; (e) mourns with all impacted by these heinous acts; (f) condemns antisemitism in all its forms and stands with Jewish Australians who have felt the cold shadows of antisemitism reaching into the present day; (g) reiterates Australia's consistent position to call for the protection of civilian lives and adherence to international law; (h) mourns the death of all innocent civilians, recognising the number of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza, and the catastrophic humanitarian situation; (i) supports ongoing international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance in Gaza and Lebanon; (j) calls for Iran to cease its destabilising actions, including through terrorist organisations the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas, condemns Iran's attacks on Israel and recognises Israel's right to defend itself against these attacks; (k) stresses the need to break the cycle of violence and supports international efforts to de-escalate, for a ceasefire in Gaza and in Lebanon, and for lasting peace and security for Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanese and all people in the region; (l) affirms its support for a two-state solution, a Palestinian State alongside Israel, so that Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders, as the only option to ensure a just and enduring peace; (m) recognises the conflict is deeply distressing for many in the Australian community; (n) condemns all acts of hatred, division or violence, affirming that they have no place in Australia; and (o) reaffirms: (i) that symbols of terror and discord are unwelcome in Australia and undermine our nation's peace and security, (ii) that undermining social cohesion and unity by stoking fear and division risks Australia's domestic security, and (iii) the responsibility of each Australian to safeguard the harmony and unity that define our diverse society, especially in times of adversity. On the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, we reflect on the horrific terrorist atrocity that reverberated around the world. We condemn Hamas's terrorism unequivocally. We call for the release of hostages immediately. October 7 is a day of grief. It is a day of pain: more than 1,200 innocent Israelis dead, the largest loss of Jewish life on any single day since the Holocaust. And so October 7 is also a day that recalls humanity's darkest memories: six million European Jews killed in the Holocaust following thousands of years of persecution and atrocities perpetrated against the Jewish people, this history being what finally resolved the international community to create the State of Israel. This history was brought back in our lifetimes as Hamas terrorists hunted down men, women and children in their homes, snatched people from their homes and targeted young people and a music festival with cold, brutal calculation—babies, the infirm, the elderly survivors of the Holocaust who had been promised 'never again' with the creation of Israel. Among those killed by Hamas was Australian Galit Carbone, and her family remains in my thoughts today and always will. I commend to the Senate the excellent contribution by the Prime Minister earlier today. He talked about where we are a year on. He said: We think of all whose lives and futures were stolen from them that day, as they tried to save themselves and their loved ones, and of all who have had them stolen since. We think of those whose lives remain suspended in the fear and isolation of captivity. And we think of those whose own lives and hearts are so intimately connected with the hostages who were kidnapped that day through the bonds of either blood or the embrace of friendship and community. This has been a year of pain, of loss and of grief. He went on to say: … this past year must have felt like a cruel eternity … their torment of not knowing the fate of a loved one who's been taken hostage or, indeed, having the terrible truth confirmed … That horrific day spawned a terrible year of devastating loss of civilian life. Over 40,000 Palestinians have died, including over 11,000 Palestinian children, in Israel's response. It has been a humanitarian catastrophe. We've seen the displacement of millions. We've seen growing danger throughout the region as conflict spreads and escalates, growing numbers of Lebanese civilians killed or forced to flee their homes. And hostages are still held, with the daily agony of waiting and not knowing. There is no doubting the need for this suffering to end. There is no doubting the need for a ceasefire in Gaza. There is no doubting the need for peace and a ceasefire for Lebanon. There's no doubting the need to break the endless cycle of violence that grips the region and robs its future. In the days following these horrific attacks, the Senate endorsed a wide-ranging bipartisan motion condemning the attacks on Israel by Hamas and supporting international law. In speaking to this, I said: Australians are rightly distressed by this situation, and that distress is felt most acutely in our Jewish and Palestinian communities. This is a long, complex and disputed history, deeply felt, closely to the heart of many. The lived experiences and understandings of our different Australian communities are distinct. …   …   … … so I ask all of us: when we speak, let us speak with respect … understanding for difference. We should reject all in this country who seek to create division. We should all be striving for unity. We reject hate and condemn prejudice and discrimination in all its forms. We reject the terror perpetrated by Hamas and separate their heinous acts from the legitimate needs and aspirations of the Palestinian people. We stand firmly against antisemitism. We stand against Islamophobia. We stand against prejudice. We stand against hate speech in all its forms and we call it out when and where we see it. We must maintain mutual respect for each other here at home … We must preserve our uniquely harmonious multicultural character. It is why people come to this country and it is who we are as a country. That's what I said on 16 October in this place. It really grieves me that some in this building have taken the opposite path. Rather than focusing on what unites us in our community, too many have seen political benefit in exploiting differences for political gain. We've seen people who claim to be political leaders try to reproduce Middle East conflicts here. We've seen people spread falsehoods to manipulate pain and inflame anger, and at both ends of this issue we see politicians who would rather radicalise then unite. I say to this chamber that I don't think Australians want that. Australians know that it does nothing for our country. It does nothing to honour the dead. It does nothing to help the living, the people whose lives have been upended, sometimes destroyed, by the conflict in the Middle East. Even today, in the House of Representatives, Mr Dutton refused to support a motion because it went beyond just words of comfort and words of recognition in relation to October 7. I would remind Mr Dutton that the motion he endorsed a year ago included the acknowledgement of the devastating loss of both Israeli and Palestinian life and an acknowledgement of the innocent civilians on all sides; supported justice and freedoms for Israelis and Palestinians; supported international efforts to establish and maintain humanitarian access into Gaza, including safe passage for civilians; and reiterated that Australia's current position in all contexts is to call for the protection of civilian lives and the observance of international law. That's what he signed up to last year—now look at his words. It's so disappointing that the man who seeks to be the alternative Prime Minister walks away from his previous position in order to be as divisive as possible. Mr Dutton always seeks to divide Australians, even when we most need to come together. Underlying these political attempts to exploit grief is a fundamental distortion of reality—the suggestion that somehow it is uniquely in Australia's power to stop the conflict in the Middle East. We are not a central player in the Middle East. We are a respected voice, and we use that voice. We use it to advocate for the release of hostages. We use it to advocate for aid to flow. We use it to advocate for international humanitarian law to be upheld, including the protection of civilians and aid workers. We are being generous with our aid, with more than $80 million to support civilians devastated by this conflict. We are convening ministers from influential countries to pursue a new international declaration for the protection of humanitarian personnel. We are working with the international community to press for a two-state solution as the only hope to end this cycle of violence. We are working with the international community, including the US, the EU, the UK, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, in calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon. We support the G7 leader statement from 3 October, which called for de-escalation and diplomacy at the same time as affirming Israel's security. It is only through diplomatic efforts, ultimately, that we can end the suffering and foster peace. But, instead, we are seeing conflict worsen, with tragic consequences for innocent civilians. We again call on Iran to cease its destabilising actions, including through its terrorist proxies, the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran's missile attacks are an extremely dangerous escalation. In response to Iran's attacks on Israel, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and I have been clear that, under international law, Israel has a right to defend itself, and that includes a capacity to respond. However, we repeat our call for all sides to observe international law. Iran's attacks are an escalation at a time when what we need is de-escalation. At this time, on this anniversary, we are reminded of the sanctity of human life and the value of peace. At this time, we remember that all innocent lives have equal value: Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese—all of us; no exceptions. We remind ourselves that peace must be our purpose and our pursuit. The best way we can honour those lost is through the peace we help forge in their memory. 16:57 Senator BIRMINGHAM H6X South Australia At 6.29 am on 7 October 2023, the music stopped at the Nova festival in Re'im. Twelve months ago yesterday, those festival-goers, young people dancing, enjoying a weekend out and living the life that so many young Australians do at similar festivals, stopped and entered a world of horror. They, along with close to 1,200 innocent children, women, elderly and families, were targeted and brutally murdered in Israel by the terrorist organisation Hamas. They were brutally, deliberately targeted, maimed, raped, tortured and murdered. This was a deliberate attack intended to strike at innocent people—not at military targets and not at terrorist infrastructure but simply at those living their lives. In fact, the irony of many of the deaths, including that of Australian Galit Carbone, is that those most likely to have died in the regions that were attacked, particularly the kibbutzes that were attacked, were those who had most worked to try to achieve peace and to give greater support to those who ultimately took their lives and destroyed their families. We come now 12 months on from those times. We have in that period learnt ever more of the absolute horror. One of the challenges of the good fortune of being an Australian is that we cannot always fully comprehend. We do not always totally understand the horrors that happen elsewhere. Our good fortune as Australians and to get to live in this country is that, for the overwhelming majority of us, we are isolated from, insulated from and protected from the horrors that exist elsewhere. But, indeed, few people, if any, around the world truly comprehend and understand the scale of horror, the barbaric nature of the attacks of October 7 and how they unfolded. They were so deliberately barbaric and so rich in torture and inhumane acts that it's hard for any decent-meaning person, even those who have encountered the greatest of suffering, to fully understand what occurred. That is why, together with the sheer statistics—the reality that on that day we saw more Jewish people killed than on any other single day since the Holocaust—it has resonated so significantly and so deeply for Israel, for Jewish people around the world and for all who pause and reflect on the scale of loss and the depravity of the way in which that loss occurred. There have been many moments in the last 24 hours, or the last 36 hours even, here in Australia and around the world of reflection on the anniversary. Some, of course, occurred in this city, and a number of us attended those, and other colleagues attended such commemorations in other places. For those of us who left the Israeli embassy last night following a moving tribute—and I join Senator Wong in acknowledging the words of Senator O'Neill and Senator Sharma, who both spoke at that tribute on behalf of the parliamentary friends of Israel—we left with a book called Testimonies Without Boundaries. Edited by Alon Penzel, it brings together some of those testimonies from October 7. It was quoted on the night, and, indeed, it is challenging to look, read and absorb some of the content within this book. One is the testimony of Natan Kenig, a ZAKA volunteer—ZAKA being a disaster response volunteer organisation. Natan said: 'We arrived at the kibbutz, once again, on Wednesday morning. This day is engraved in my memory and will remain with me forever. Several days had already passed since the attack, and there was already a smell at this point. The terrible sights, combined with other senses, made the experience even more difficult. The most horrific situation I encountered was when we entered one of the destroyed houses in the kibbutz after receiving a call about an extremely pungent smell from the place. We entered the house by climbing over the ruins because they were completely destroyed. Suddenly, we saw a mattress and a girl tied to it. We tried to separate her from the mattress, but we couldn't and didn't understand why. When we looked closer, we noticed that metal wires were running inside her body. We were sure these were threads from the mattress that had entered her body. Therefore we began to clear the rubble that was around the mattress. What we saw under the rubble was unbelievable. Suddenly, we realised the girl was actually tied to a man, apparently her partner, on the other side of the mattress. Both were completely naked. They inserted metal wires into their bodies, through their stomachs, and tied them together on both sides of the mattress. Whole metal wires were inserted through the stomach, from both sides and to the both of them, so they would be tied together on both sides of the mattress. It was horrifying—that coldness. You can't contain it.' It is hard to comprehend or understand how or why anyone would behave in such a barbaric way. Acts of war are always tragic. Acts of warfare always result in terrible suffering and loss of human life. But these were not acts of war; these were acts of terror to the full meaning and intent of that word 'terror'. Late last year, I led a parliamentary delegation to Israel. Indeed, I visited the Kfar Aza kibbutz amongst other sites close to Gaza. At that site, some 64 peace-loving, family-loving civilians were killed alongside 22 soldiers. It was a site of a battle that went on beyond the initial attacks on 7 October. Nineteen hostages were taken. We are reminded that around 250 innocent hostages were taken and that around 100 remain held hostage—some likely dead, others still living, held in circumstances against their will. The terror for them and their families is enduring. The hostages that have been found were held in Gaza, hidden in tunnel networks or amidst civilian infrastructure. That is a reminder that the suffering is not just of those Israelis from 7 October, and of their families who have suffered ever since, but, of course, also of those who Hamas has chosen to hide behind and amongst—Palestinian people in Gaza who continue to bear the pain and suffering of the fact that the terrorists use and abuse their base within Gaza and expose those people to the ultimate suffering too. This conflict could have ended at any point during the last 12 months had Hamas been willing to release its hostages, surrender its terrorist infrastructure and allow proper peacekeeping to be undertaken, but instead when ceasefire efforts have been made and come close Hamas has rejected them. Hamas continues to hold the hostages. It continues to set terms in relation to the release of the hostages rather than putting the wellbeing of those people, and indeed that of the Palestinians, ahead of their own terrorist interests and instincts. Throughout the last year I, like so many colleagues and I'm sure people across this place, have met with, stood with, hugged and consoled Jewish Australians. When speaking to the first motion passed here nearly 12 months ago, we spoke about the pain of Jewish Australians. It was already evident from the escalation in antisemitism. That had been clear all too tragically on the steps of the Sydney Opera House just shortly after the horrors of October 7 had become evident. Tragically, in the time that has ensued, those Jewish Australians have increasingly made clear, not only in their private conversations with many of us but increasingly very publicly too, how let down they feel by the Albanese government. From the earliest days of this conflict, when the Albanese government was unable to even mention antisemitism without creating a false equivalence around the circumstances to Islamophobia, we've not seen Jewish Australians undertake rallies outside mosques or target other Australians in the way that, tragically, Jewish Australians have had their faith and their wellbeing deliberately targeted. Similarly, they feel pained and aggrieved that the ever-shifting Australian position on a two-state solution, which had enjoyed decades-long bipartisanship, is now under the Albanese government no longer to be a negotiated two-state solution, where the hard but necessary questions around matters such as negotiated borders, security guarantees and rights of return should be settled, but instead subject to some arbitrary timeline or ill-defined process. These concerns of these Australians and others are real, and it is why, sadly, whilst we went to great lengths 12 months ago to find bipartisanship in the motion that was put through this chamber, we have not been in a position to do so on this occasion. I move the amendments to the government motion as circulated in the chamber in my name: That the Senate— (a) reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of Hamas' terror attacks on Israel which took place on 7 October 2023, in which more than 1,200 innocent Israelis were killed—the largest loss of Jewish life on any single day since the Holocaust—and the vow made by the perpetrators to repeat these attacks indefinitely; (b) recognises that hundreds more innocent people were subjected to brutality and violence on that day; (c) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages; (d) condemns the murder of hostages and the inhumane conditions and violence, including sexual violence, that hostages have experienced; (e) mourns with all impacted by these heinous acts; (f) reiterates that it stands with Israel and affirms its inherent right to defend itself and protect its citizens; (g) condemns antisemitism in all its forms and stands with Jewish Australians who have felt the cold shadows of antisemitism reaching into the present day; (h) reiterates Australia's consistent position isto call for the protection of civilian lives and adherence to international law; (i) mourns the death and humanitarian suffering of all innocent Palestinian and Lebanese civilians placed in harm's way by the terrorists who hide behind and among them; (j) supports ongoing international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance in Gaza and Lebanon; (k) calls for Iran to cease its direct and indirect attacks on Israel, including through terrorist organisations the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas, all of whom are committed to the destruction of Israel; (l) supports international efforts to negotiate and securelasting peace and security for Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanese and all people in the region; (m) affirms its support for a negotiatedtwo-state solution, a futurePalestinian State alongside Israel, so that Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders; (n) recognises the conflict is deeply distressing for many in the Australian community; (o) condemns all acts of hatred, division or violence, affirming that they have no place in Australia; (p) condemns the actions of those seeking to celebrate and promote the barbaric actions of terrorist organisations; and (q) reaffirms: (i) that symbols of terror and discord are abhorrent and unacceptablein Australia and undermine our nation's peace and security, (ii) that undermining social cohesion and unity by stoking fear and division risks Australia's domestic security, and (iii) the responsibility of each Australian, and visitor to Australia,to safeguard the harmony and unity that define our diverse society, especially in times of adversity. These amendments do important things. Perhaps most importantly of all they reiterate that this Senate stands with Israel and affirms its inherent right to defend itself and protect its citizens. You have to ask: why does this need to be an amendment to a government motion? Because that is what we said 12 months ago. Twelve months ago this Senate said that it stood with Israel and affirmed Israel's inherent right to defend itself. Yet now the government refuses to incorporate those words in this motion. There are other changes that we have made and propose to this motion, seeking to ensure that it actually does reflect the seriousness of the situation that continues to be faced. Twelve months ago I spoke about the threat of Iran. I said: Let us not be asking, in five or 10 years time, what more could've been done to prevent Iran unleashing whatever atrocity its regime might commit, including the threat of a nuclear one. Sadly, 12 months later, there is more not less to be concerned about, as we have seen Iran's tentacles of terror spread not just from Hamas but also with strikes against Israel by Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels striking not only against Israel but against broader Western interests and Iran themselves entering the fray with their direct military strikes—unprecedented strikes indeed. I urge the Senate to support the amendments that we have circulated. I urge the government to reconsider and to give bipartisanship to a position that would be consistent with Australia's longstanding values, the values that have flowed through Hawke, Howard, Keating, Rudd and Gillard—consistent values—where we have stood as friends of Israel, stood for decency and stood, above all else, against the horrors of terrorism that we reflect upon today. 17:12 Senator STEELE-JOHN 250156 Western Australia The Australian Greens today mourn those killed on 7 October 2023, as well as the hundreds of thousands of civilians who have lost their lives in a spiral of violence that started long before 7 October and has gathered pace and continued since. The Greens continue our call for peace. The attacks of 7 October, the killing and traumatising of civilians and the taking of hostages, were appalling. The stories from that day are truly horrific and deserve nothing less than our most full condemnation as a Senate, as a parliament and as a community. These acts rightly moved so many in the Australian community to voice our compassion and our solidarity with all members of the Jewish community and all those impacted. Among those whose lives were taken were older people in their homes, young people enjoying a music festival and children who knew little of the history of the conflict that far predated them. This week is, again, a time to remember those who lost their lives and those who loved them. There are many who are also now still waiting for news of their loved one's fate nearly a year after being taken hostage by Hamas and in the face of the refusal of the Netanyahu government to reach a ceasefire and to secure their release. The Greens reiterate our call for the unconditional release of hostages, just as we call for the release of the many thousands of Palestinians held as political prisoners in Israeli prisons. We condemn the taking of hostages. We condemn it now; we condemned it a year ago. We call it out for the war crime that it is and that it was. And we will continue to condemn hostage taking as a war crime, unconditionally, until the hostages are released. The very same compassion, honesty and commitment to peace and justice required of us in the response to these Hamas attacks requires us as Greens to call out the war crimes and the genocide that is being carried out by the State of Israel right now in Gaza and the rest of the occupied territories and now reaching and including Lebanon. The extremist Netanyahu government's campaign of genocide in Gaza has claimed over 40,000 lives, and many pieces of credible academic research now put that figure at far, far more. These are human beings blasted away by unimaginable weapons of war. These are entire communities reduced to rubble. This is the displacement of millions of people. The State of Israel's continued violation of international law in the West Bank has led to the largest and highest levels of forced relocations and illegal settlements in the country's history. This means that thousands of Palestinians have been forced from their homes in the West Bank since October 7. Many hundreds have died, and a just peace has been pushed further out of reach. In Lebanon, the Netanyahu government has unleashed a relentless campaign of bombardment with no regard for civilians. They have turned residential neighbourhoods into war zones and pushed an already unstable nation to the brink of collapse. How have we come to a time when the bombing of children is excused by our government, a time when the calls of UN experts and human rights organisations are ignored, dismissed and derided, a time when governments can't hear the cries of two million Palestinians in Gaza as the State of Israel's military drops bombs from planes using Australian made parts? The International Court of Justice has made clear that the State of Israel's occupation of Palestine is unlawful and based on apartheid. The occupation underlies the escalating cycle of violence in the Middle East, and it must end. Australia is not just a bystander in this conflict. By refusing to support the UN resolutions on Palestinian statehood, by refusing to support South Africa's International Court of Justice case, by refusing to engage with the genuine aspirations of the Australian community to see a just peace and to see those individuals responsible for these war crimes, including Netanyahu and his cabinet, face sanctions and be brought to justice before the International Criminal Court, by continuing to import Israeli weapons and continuing to export parts, including parts for the F-35 fighter, that are used by the Israeli military, Australia is complicit in this appalling conflict. The Labor government must listen to the community and join with the community in pushing for a just peace by recognising the statehood of Palestine, sanctioning the extremist Netanyahu government, ending the two-way arms trade and pushing for a just and lasting peace for Israelis, Palestinians and Lebanese. We must never forget that in war it is always civilians who pay the highest price. Peace must always be our goal. It is in that spirit that I foreshadow the amendment standing in my name: Omit all words after "That", substitute: "the Senate: (a) commemorates the victims of 7 October 2023 and reiterates its condemnation of the attacks; (b) calls for the unconditional release of the hostages and political prisoners; (c) condemns all forms of racism including anti-semitism and Islamophobia; (d) condemns the State of Israel's ongoing genocide and war crimes in Gaza that have killed more than 41,000 people and the ongoing illegal actions and bombing in the West Bank, Syria and Lebanon; (e) notes the International Court of Justice has made clear the State of Israel's occupation of Palestine is unlawful and based on apartheid; (f) believes the illegal occupation underlies the escalating cycle of violence in the Middle East which must come to an end; and (g) calls on the Government to take meaningful action towards a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians and others in the Middle East by implementing the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteurs and ending the two-way arms trade and placing sanctions on Netanyahu's extremist government". These are the actions we must take if we are to end the complicity of this government and, at its hand, our nation in these most terrible crimes. 17:23 Senator McKENZIE 207825 Victoria Yesterday on the lawns of Parliament House, I was talking to a Jewish grandmother who was nearly in tears as she was telling me about her grandson who is 10 years old and at an Australian primary school. His best friend had to tell him recently that he couldn't come to his birthday. When he asked why, this young boy was told that it was because he was Jewish. They've both decided, as two 10-year-old best friends, to stay best friends at school, despite one of them being Jewish and it being against parents' advice. They're not going to tell their mates' parents that they're going to stay friends. That is actually what's happening in our primary schools to Australian kids. This isn't Germany in the 1930s; these are Australian students in Australian primary schools who aren't able to stay friends because one of them is an Australian Jew. A year ago, on 7 October, when we heard what was actually coming out of Israel—we didn't know the extent of the horror that had been visited—we all stood and moved a joint motion here, and many senators spoke to that. A year on, I can barely recognise our country and what's been wrought here as a result of the devastation in Israel. It is becoming normalised in our children, in our schools, in our universities and on our streets. Antisemitism in Germany didn't start with gas chambers or Jews in cattle trucks; it started with protests. It started with hate speech. It started with antisemitism being normalised. That journey slowly progressed through the 1930s. By 1938, before World War II started, it had reached catastrophic proportions, and I don't need to regale this chamber with the horrors of the Holocaust. At the end of World War II, the world came together to say: 'Never again can this occur. Never again can we treat a group of humanity in this way.' We all pledged that that would not occur and the Jewish people were given a homeland. The Jews of Judea could actually return and begin to build the modern State of Israel. Here in Australia, we have had a bipartisan approach to the State of Israel, its success and the fact that it pursues peace in what is a very troubled space, with neighbours and terrorist organisations who would seek to wipe it from the face of the earth. When people chant, 'From the river to the sea,' be very clear about what's being said and the messages that are being sent: you don't have a right to exist. Both parties of government having a bipartisan approach to this question over many, many decades has been the way that this country has chosen to support a liberal democracy's growth and success in the Middle East. Indeed, it is how Australia has become home—the cherished home—for so many Jews who, fleeing a war-torn Europe, have made such a wonderful contribution to our young democracy in the decades since. But over the last 12 months, those very people—the academics, the Jewish students, the business owners, the supporters of the arts—have been subjected to horrific things. Businesses have been boycotted in this country because they're run by Australian Jews. Academics have had their offices pissed on. That's not in some Third World country; that is actually— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT HZB Senator McKenzie, please withdraw the language. Senator McKENZIE 207825 I withdraw the colloquial language. I'll be more accurate—urinated on at university campuses. Australian Jewish students have been spat on at campuses in this country, and somehow that is okay because some other Australian student doesn't agree with their right to be mourning family and to be standing up for Israel's right to exist. And we've had Jewish members of parliament treated abhorrently. I had the great privilege of visiting Israel a few months ago to visit the site of the Nova music festival—the site of such atrocities. I want to know: where are the feminists, with the horrific rapes that occurred? I was able to visit Kibbutz Be'eri, where Danny Majzner showed us around from house to house. Yes, the blood had been wiped away and the bodies were no longer there, but the devastation that had been wrought was left there as a very powerful reminder to us of what actually occurred. Above every single house where this had occurred, for the people that had lived there that had lost their lives, their photos and a description of what happened were there. In that kibbutz, Galit Carbone, an Australian Israeli citizen, lost her life. We met with the families of hostages and heard of their sorrow. We went to the Galilee and, on the morning we were there, there had been 32 missiles—thank goodness for the Iron Dome—launched from southern Lebanon by Hezbollah into what is an Arab community of Druze, who also see themselves as Israeli. We all came together as a globe and said, 'Never again,' and to find ourselves here only a short few decades later is, I think, appalling. A conservative philosopher a long time ago said, 'The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men'—and, I believe, in the 21st century that should include 'good women'—'to do nothing.' For the sake of politeness, for the sake of not wanting to make a fuss, for the sake of not wanting to offend each other, we have allowed these atrocities to go unmarked, have not borne full witness to what actually happened, have not spoken honestly, have glossed over the gory and grotesque details. What happened a year ago was a group of people who didn't just want to start a war. When you go into the details—if I have time, I will be reading from the Testimonies Without Boundaries book, which does go to the horror of what actually occurred on that day. We gloss over that so we can just skip over the inhumanity and say this is just an ancient war and these are just two tribes fighting. No. One group of people wants to create a nation-state with safe and secure borders and get on with living life, and the other parties to this tragedy sought to destroy, denigrate and dehumanise their victims. I also, on that visit with many other of my colleagues—Dan Tehan, James Paterson, Garth Hamilton, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Bert van Manen—watched the horrific 45 minutes of footage, which wasn't some IDF scam. It was actually live footage taken from the cameras of the Hamas terrorists as they went on their rampage. There have been media reports about how horrific this footage was, and you cannot unsee Palestinians, as Janet Albrechtsen says, cheering the arrivals of trucks laden with human beings as carcasses of terrorism. It captured some of the horror of innocent people being murdered, some beheaded, hunted down, raped, kicked, bashed, burnt alive—adults, babies, children. That's what happened, and we shouldn't turn our eyes away from it. We should not turn our ears away from this horror. Yesterday was an opportunity to remember those victims, to actually pray for the families impacted and recognise the resilience of the Israeli people and the Jewish people. That is why so many of us gathered in community events around the country, in suburbs and in capital cities, to mourn, to respect, to remember, to pray and also, in some moments, experience great joy, as with those of us that gathered on the front lawns of Parliament House yesterday, dancing for the survival and the future of the Jewish people and Israel and their resilience. I just want to read a piece from the ambassador of Israel to Australia from last night's commemoration service: 'In the early morning hours of Saturday 7 October 2023, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and brutally murdered more than 1,200 people, including Australian Galit Carbone. They wounded almost 5,000 people and kidnapped 251 men, women, young children and the elderly. As of today, 101 people, including two children, remain in Hamas captivity. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring them home. 'Yesterday, we lit a candle in memory of the victims of October 7 and shared the testimonies of those who survived. October 7 saw the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, and the depravity of that day will never be forgotten. May their memory be a blessing.' The reason why the world decided 'never again' was that it was so atrocious, so inhumane. Yet here we are again, and there are people who yesterday sought to celebrate those atrocities as if, somehow, it was justified and as if, somehow, Israel and the Jewish people deserved to be attacked, deserved to be dehumanised and deserved the attempt to destroy them. What we've seen is our government refuse to bear witness to this horror and spend 12 months making some moral equivalence between the antisemitism of what happened on 7 October, the antisemitism which is being normalised in this country and Islamophobia. They've chosen to somehow make moral equivalency. They've trashed decades of bipartisanship around the State of Israel, its status as an ally and our commitment to its ongoing survival and to a Jewish state here in the modern world. It's been absolutely appalling to see that equivocation, because it has allowed the celebration of those atrocities to occur in capital cities right across the country, including at sacred places like the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne in my home state. We stand with Israel. We stand with the Jewish people and with Jewish Australians. You will win. 17:38 Senator RUSTON 243273 South Australia I rise to acknowledge the unimaginable pain, anguish and suffering of the 101 remaining hostages, their families, their friends and their communities, and of all Jewish people here in Australia and around the world. The 7 October attack represented an organised massacre of Jewish people on a scale not seen in any of our lifetimes. We witnessed suffering that continues to be unimaginable. It must not be ignored, and it must not be diminished. One year on, we are reminded that our efforts must not stop until every one of those hostages is accounted for. Those hostages, including a baby, are held in conditions that defy comprehension. There are hostages who remain in chains. There are hostages who remain in fear of being executed. There are hostages who are trapped, away from their families and their loved ones. They must all be brought home. It is our duty to commit to memory the events of that day, to stand against the tide of denial and distortion and to honour the memory of those victims who have lost their lives. It is our duty to keep our thoughts with those 101 hostages and their families as they continue to suffer unimaginable horrors. It is also our duty to stand against the rot of antisemitism that the atrocities of October 7 have exposed here in Australia. Since that day we have seen members of the Australian Jewish community endure amazing and immense hostility, intimidation and aggression from fellow Australians. This is not only unacceptable but quite unimaginable in a nation such as ours, a nation that prides itself on being welcoming to people of all faiths and all backgrounds, on being an accepting and safe community that embraces all cultures. In line with the values of our nation, the Australian Jewish community must be provided with the protection and the support which they deserve, particularly in this time of great grief. Together, we must stand against evil, an evil which saw 1,200 Jews murdered on 7 October 2023, an evil which still holds 101 people hostage and which attempts to infiltrate our community with hate. My thoughts are with the entire Jewish community. I stand with Israel. Let's bring them home. Quorum formed. 17:43 Senator CICCONE 281503 Victoria I'll just make the point that the quorum count wasn't about me. But, in any event, I'm here to speak. I rise to reflect on the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack and express my enduring support for the people of Israel and the Australian Jewish community. Like many of my parliamentary colleagues, I was deeply moved at last night's commemorative event held at the Embassy of Israel in Canberra to mark the first anniversary of those deadly October 7 attacks. It was a solemn gathering and a moment of reflection to honour the more than 1,250 innocent people—predominantly Israelis but also people from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Mexico, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and, sadly, Australia—who were brutally murdered in the most significant loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust in World War II. I thank the Israeli ambassador, Amir Maimon, for inviting us to his home to join him and his staff, his family and members of the Australian Jewish community for such a moving and difficult occasion of mourning. As was evident last night and in vigils held right across the country and the world, the horror of October 7 has by no means diminished. Hamas's massacre of 1,250 civilians and the kidnapping of over 250 people, of which 101 remain in captivity and two are children, are unforgivable. Innocent people, many of them children, were victims of acts of senseless violence: rape, torture, mutilation, burnings and murder. Our government, like those of all right-thinking nations of the world, has condemned the attacks by Hamas on Israel one year ago, and we condemn them now. There are no reasons that can be given to justify such acts of such callous murder. Barbarism is one way I would describe it. There is no context in which what happened on October 7 is excusable. Our government proudly stands with Israel, and it will always stand with Israel. This is because standing with Israel is part of who we are as the Australian Labor Party. Let us not forget the role of HV Evatt, Labor's Minister for External Affairs in the Chifley government, as he was one of the architects of the 1947 United Nations partition plan. Doc Evatt's work leading those negotiations as chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question and later as president of the UN General Assembly was instrumental to the formation of the modern State of Israel. He considered it his greatest achievement while in office. When Prime Minister Bob Hawke welcomed the Israeli president to Australia in 1986, he rightly observed the 'friendship between our countries goes back to the foundation of the modern State of Israel'. Since Israel's modern foundation as a sovereign state, Labor has celebrated Israel's many successes as a thriving democracy in the region, a democracy where civil rights, women's rights and LGBTQIA+ rights are respected and upheld. We have celebrated the wonderful contribution its peoples have made to Australia. It saddens me that there are some in this place, particularly on the crossbench and in the Australian Greens political party, who have sought to cause division in our community on this issue. Some have encouraged people, protesters, to attend rallies where words of hatred are spoken, where symbols of terror are displayed. Some have attended these demonstrations themselves, getting on stages and speaking in ways that seek to divide Australians rather than uniting each and every one of us. All the while, some have chosen to peddle misinformation, to exploit genuine concern in our community over the situation in the Middle East, simply for political gain, through their anti-Israel rhetoric. One common piece of misinformation peddled by them is that Australia is supplying weapons to Israel. Any suggestion that Australia has supplied weapons to Israel is simply false. The Department of Defence has confirmed repeatedly that Australia has not supplied weapons to Israel—and this distinction is also worth mentioning—since the Hamas-Israel conflict began and for at least the past five years. We have seen repeated attempts by some senators, by some from the Australian Greens party, to pursue these mistruths in estimates, and the Greens continue to push this false narrative to create more tension. This type of behaviour must be called out, and it must stop. It must stop because words do matter. What we say in this place matters. We are being watched and listened to by millions of Australians. Some do listen, as they probably are tonight, to the Senate, watching what the leaders of their community—that is us, the members who are elected; we are leaders of our community—say about this very issue. There are some whose mission it is to inflame division in our community. I hate to say that, but it is simply true. Those people do not belong in this place. But we do live in a democracy, and we have to respect each other and how we get here in this place. It is a message worth saying publicly and proudly, that people who do come into this place, who are elected to make decisions on behalf of their community, have some level of responsibility and need to look at how they conduct themselves in this chamber. The language of division, the language of hate, has a very real effect outside these walls. I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the rise of antisemitism in our country and those who encourage it. It breaks my heart that the Australian Jewish community have been and continue to be subjected to such hateful prejudice. People are hiding behind the fact that we don't call them antisemitic; we call them Zionists. They are using words, trying to be clever and smart about the debates that occur and the discourse that is happening right now, but they are picking and choosing words so that technically they're not racist. But we know that there are a lot of people in this place who are using racist motives because of their deep hatred for Jewish people. A people whose history has been so characterised by persecution by others should feel safe in a country like ours. Australia is built on harmony. We embrace multiculturalism, unless you're Jewish. Is that what we're trying to say to people in the Jewish community? A country of multiculturalism, tolerance and peace—that's who we are as Australians. There is no place in our community for antisemitism, hate speech or any kind of racism. The Jewish community in our country are proud Australians who have contributed so much to our way of life. In the same way, my parents came from Italy and made sacrifices for their children. Guess what? There are people like me, my brother and others in my family who have benefited from the sacrifices of their parents. In the same way, many Jewish mums and dads and their parents have made sacrifices for their next generation, their kids. They are also now members of the federal parliament, which is something that would have been unimaginable for families like mine and others in this place. Australia is the lucky country, and it should stay that way. Like every Australian, they have the right to live their lives without fear. This is not to say that people don't have a right to protest and express their views; of course they do. That's what living in a democracy is all about—democracies like Australia and democracies like the State of Israel. That is what it's all about. But in exercising such rights comes responsibilities. It is incumbent on those who do that they do so in a respectful and law-abiding manner and in a way that does not incite hatred or violence. Today we might discuss the issues in the Middle East, but tomorrow there'll be another issue. We've always got to have a long-term outlook in terms of how we conduct ourselves in public. Our government will continue to advocate for a peaceful solution to the situation in the Middle East, but, in doing so, you can only do it where both sides also recognise each other's borders. That is something that is also worth noting in this debate. There are those in the Middle Eastern region who do not want peace—not all, but there are most, I think, who don't. There are those in the region who do not respect the rights of others to exist. Our government regards many of these organisations as terrorist organisations. They are Hamas and Hezbollah. But, in condemning them and those who support them, we must not overlook the role of Iran in facilitating their trade in terror. Iran has a lot to answer for—sponsoring these terrorist organisations and using them as proxies for the war. Rather than building peace in the region, innocent civilians are dying—their own citizens and many others in neighbouring countries. Israel has a right to defend itself. It has a right to defend itself against terror and those who practice it. Israelis have the right to sleep safely in their beds, to gaze upon a sky that isn't littered with rockets. The 101 hostages that remain in captivity have the right to return to their families to live a life of peace, as do the many, many Palestinians. There is no solution to this conflict other than a two-state solution, but this solution can only come about through the elimination of terror and those who practice it. It is my hope to one day see an Israeli state and a Palestinian state side by side, where the citizens of each of their respective countries can live in peace and with dignity, respecting each other's borders. As we mark one year since the October 7 attacks, we pause to remember the many innocent victims, call for the release of all hostages, stand in solidarity with the vibrant Australian Jewish community and continue to pray for peace in the region. 17:58 Senator PATERSON 144138 Victoria Today's motion is about what happened 12 months ago in Israel. It is about the 1,200 men, women and children who were murdered by Hamas. It is about the 250 who were kidnapped. It is about the 100 who remain as hostages in Gaza today. It is about kibbutz Be'eri, where an Australian, Galit Carbone, was killed. It is about her brother, Danny, who survived that massacre and suffers the scars of what happened on that day. It is about the Nova music festival, where the young people who were raped, tortured and murdered were killed simply because they were Jews. It is about the worst loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust. It is about Israel's right to defend itself, free the hostages and restore deterrence in the region. But it is also about our country and the country we want to be, because over the last 12 months at times it has been hard to recognise Australia. It was hard to recognise Australia on 9 October last year at the Sydney Opera House. It was hard to recognise Melbourne or Sydney last weekend when people waved the flags of a listed terrorist organisation, Hezbollah, in open defiance of the law. It has been hard to recognise our major cities most weekends in the last year when the symbols and logos of Hamas or the al-Qassam brigades have been proudly on display and no-one has been charged for it. We have seen a truly shocking rise in antisemitism here at home since 7 October. I have heard incredibly distressing stories from members of the Jewish community who have happily lived their whole lives in Australia. They've told me that they are contemplating moving to Israel because they think they'll feel safer in a country under attack from three terrorist organisations simultaneously than they do walking the streets of Sydney or Melbourne. I've heard from Holocaust survivors who've lived here safely for decades who now don't want their children or grandchildren to go into the city on weekends because they fear for their wellbeing. Jewish students have told us in excruciating detail about how unwelcome and unsafe they feel on campus in 2024 in Australia. Jewish kindergartens and schools don't just require armed guards, so do Jewish aged-care homes. We even saw people gather to protest on 7 October, in defiance of calls from the Prime Minister, premiers and police—and, frankly, in defiance of all good taste and decency. At one of those protests yesterday, at the Lakemba mosque, one speaker said the quiet part out loud. Khaled Beydoun said: 'Today is not a day that is full of mourning. Today is a day that marks celebration.' The truth is that what we have seen in the last year is a stain on our great country. I never thought we would witness scenes like this in our country, and it didn't have to be this way. Yes, conflicts on the other side of the world always have the potential to divide us, but we could and should have kept those divides respectful and within the acceptable boundaries of normal civil disagreement. We could have had protests without incitement, concern for the loss of civilian life without sympathy for terrorism and disagreement without division. The missing ingredient has been leadership. When confronted with the gravest antisemitism crisis in our history, the Prime Minister has vacated the field. He has failed to use the power of his office to send a strong signal about what we will not tolerate as a country. He has failed to ensure that the law is enforced. He has failed to stand with our friend and ally when facing its most dangerous assault since it was established in 1948. Instead of moral clarity we've got equivocation. Instead of moral strength we've got impotence. Instead of moral courage we've had weakness. It is no wonder that extremists have been emboldened. It is no wonder that our laws are being flouted. And it is no wonder that the Jewish community feels let down, abandoned and betrayed at a time of their greatest suffering. For however long I remain in public life and in whatever position I hold, I will work every day to fix this and I will not rest until it is fixed, because our country is better than this. 18:04 Senator THORPE 280304 Victoria I want to start by saying that any loss of life is a tragedy. These are people with friends, family and community. They are people. Violence, the violation of human lives and the violation of international humanitarian law can never be justified. We must never lose sight of each other's humanity—never. This week, a year on, is painful for all of us. I acknowledge and feel the grief of all those who have lost loved ones, who lost their homes, who lost everything. I acknowledge and feel the grief of their communities and everyone standing with them. I stand with you. I stand against the dispossession, violence and murder of people here and everywhere. I stand against genocide. As a black woman living through an ongoing genocide here in this country, with many of my own clans wiped out, wiped off the face of the earth by the colonisers, 63 clans, I stand in solidarity with all victims of genocide. We have to call out genocide when and wherever it occurs, and there is no question at all that there is a genocide occurring right in front of our eyes in Palestine. Genocide is reliant on the dehumanisation of others to justify inhumane action. Since 7 October, we have heard Netanyahu describe Gaza as a city of darkness and ask people to flee or face certain death. Of the Palestinians, Netanyahu says: 'We are facing monsters. It is a battle of civilisation against barbarism.' The Israeli defence minister said, 'We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.' Several Israeli military politicians have described Palestinians as cockroaches, a cancer and a vermin that should be annihilated. Have we heard Albanese or Penny Wong denounce this language? No. We have only heard support for Israel. The language is familiar. The Australian government called the First Peoples on this land savages and barbarians to justify their slaughter, the massacres that happened to my people. We were dehumanised by the coloniser too. The pillaging and rape of our country, our culture and our people—the First Peoples of this land know what genocide looks and feels like. For over a year our communities have stood firmly together and shown up in the streets every week calling loudly for an end to the genocide, for a weapons embargo on Israel, for visas, for aid, for food, for this country to stop sending weapon parts for the F-35 fighter jets that are used to indiscriminately bomb civilians. We have stood in solidarity to protest against genocide, against war, against racism and against colonisation. We've stood up against what is happening in Palestine, the Congo, Sudan, West Papua, Tibet and Kanaks. We see this for what it is: colonial powers maintaining and expanding their systems of oppression, exploitation and violence. We protest for those in our communities whose loved ones are being slaughtered by violent, greedy governments. We protest for those being used for fodder in this bloody expansion of the colony. We protest for our safety, our rights, our lives and our liberation. We protest to show that we care and that we stand together, side by side. We protest to show that Palestine has not been abandoned. We protest because we love and care deeply about each other's shared humanity. We protest to protect each other. This is a human rights movement—an anti-war movement that is standing up to the federal government, which is showing no morality and is absolutely complicit in genocide. Not only has this government looked away as the State of Israel ethnically cleanses the Palestinians as they breach international law just to build vacation homes and extract gas and steal water; this government has gone further. It has offered diplomatic support and helped the Israeli regime build the weapons that are used to commit their war crimes. This government has provided not just impunity but active support—blood on your hands. Those who have lost family and loved ones already feel like they have lost everything. Every day, more news could arrive of another heartbeat snuffed out. How can we have social cohesion when our government is enabling the killing of those in our community? It is our duty to protest against genocide. It is our duty to stop genocide. It was a protest from the union movement here in so-called Australia that helped break apartheid in South Africa, even while Nelson Mandela was listed as a terrorist by the US for trying to do exactly that. None of us are free unless we are all free. What comes of international inaction? Israel has set its sights on Lebanon. Why wouldn't it? What consequences has it faced for its genocide from so-called Australia, from Germany and from its closest allies, the US and the UK? When so-called Australia tells so-called Israel, 'You have claimed this land, so you can do what you like,' it is giving itself permission to do the same on land it has claimed and continue the genocide against First Peoples here. In the acts of violence and dispossession being committed by Israel, so-called Australia sees itself reflected back. No consent was given to take the Palestinians' land or our land, yet we are told to take the exploitation, murder, rape and pillaging of our people, country and culture quietly. 'Don't protest.' We are not allowed to protest against genocide and occupation! You come after the protesters. The frontier wars continue wherever the militarised police and army are involved, through more sophisticated tactics of administration or incarceration. The police went to the New South Wales courts to block the Palestinian protests that happened this weekend. This is not new. The right to protest is being eroded across the continent. We will not stop for any illegal colonial government, such as this place here. There is no consent for this place to be here. It's through invasion and massacre that this parliament sits here on a gathering place of Ngambri and Ngunnawal people. You just wiped them off their land and built this monstrosity. We're not going to stop protesting. We're going to hold you all to account. Albanese talks about the need for social cohesion, something no-one would disagree with. But the real question is: how can you address the injustice you're responding to? Social cohesion doesn't just happen—duh, Albo. It's a response to perceived injustice. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT 273828 ( ): Senator Thorpe, refer to people by their title. Senator THORPE 280304 'Prime Minister Genocide'. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT 273828 Senator Thorpe. Senator THORPE 280304 Prime Minister. If people are protesting what they see as an unjust and inhumane genocide, the first step toward social cohesion is to come to the table with legitimacy and recognise that there can be no cohesion as long as the injustice persists. The Vietnam protests ended when the Vietnam War ended. Protests against apartheid in South Africa stopped once apartheid was dismantled. First Peoples here, the Palestinian people, the Kanak people, the Tibetans and many more continue to live, love and resist. We celebrate and acknowledge the warriors and the continued, lasting legacies of all the resistance, the love and the culture. We are still here. The Palestinians and the Lebanese are still here. We are one with country, and we are rooted in the land and in each other. Together, we have an unlimited amount of love, joy and grief between us. We will never stop. We are a never-ending song and storyline. To those who commit this violence: you will be stopped. There will be no injustice left. There will be peace and liberation—that will be our legacy. You or your children or your children's children will look back and condemn this genocide. The truth will be told far and wide that the western civilisation you have built sits upon the graves of our people—that is your legacy. You live with that; you sleep with that at night. The truth has splintered the narrative and the truth will set us free. We must continue to call out genocide, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and human rights abuses everywhere we see them. We must make a commitment to truth, healing, treaty and justice. In the words of Kieran Stewart Assheton: Our leadership is grounded in a deep connection to the land and a commitment to collective wellbeing that transcends individual or profit motives … that priorities the needs of the people and planet. Kieran is pointing to something important: a commitment to taking direction from our elders and to lead with love and understanding. I acknowledge this debate has taken place on the unceded sovereign lands of the real sovereigns—because this place ain't sovereign. You're not from here. This colonial government is not from here; it's from England. Charlie is your boss—our boss— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT 273828 Senator Thorpe! Senator THORPE 280304 Don't tell me I've got to call him the King. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT 273828 You do need to refer to people by their correct titles, please, Senator Thorpe. Senator THORPE 280304 King coloniser Charlie— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT 273828 Senator Thorpe, please withdraw and refer to the King in the appropriate terms. Senator THORPE 280304 The King of England is not sovereign here. That's a matter of fact, everybody. So I acknowledge the unceded sovereign lands of the real sovereign people of this land, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and I pay my respects to the real sovereign elders and the real sovereign matriarchs and communities across these lands. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. 18:18 Senator McGRATH 217241 Queensland Bring them home. Bring all of them home. Too many Australians have forgotten the hostages held by Hamas. Too many Australians have forgotten what actually happened on 7 October. I can't forget. I won't forget. I haven't forgotten. Three times I have stood in this Australian Senate and read out the names of the hostages held by Hamas. Today, for the fourth time in this Australian Senate, I will read out the names of the remaining hostages held by Hamas: Tamir Adar, Mohammed El Atrash, Hisham al-Sayed, Hamza Alziadana, Youssef Alziadana, Liri Elbag, Edan Alexander, Matan Angrest, Karina Ariev, Aviv Atzili, Sahar Baruch, Uriel Baruch, Ohad Ben Ami, Agam Berger, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas, Yarden Bibas, Elkana Bohbot, Rom Braslavski, Itay Chen, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Eliya Cohen, Nimrod Cohen, Amiram Cooper, Ariel Cunio, David Cunio, Evyatar David, Itzhak Elgarat, Ronen Engel, Daniella Gilboa, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Meni Godard, Hadar Goldin, Romi Gonen, Ran Gvili, Gad Haggai, Judy Weinstein Haggai, Tal Haimi, Inbar Haiman, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Yair Horn, Tsachi Idan, Guy Iluz, Bipin Joshi, Ofer Kalderon, Segev Kalfon, Ofra Keidar, Bar Avraham Kuperstein, Eitan Levy, Shay Levinson, Naama Levy, Or Levy, Oded Lifshitz, Shlomo Mansour, Eliyahu Margalit, Avera Mengistu, Omri Miran, Joshua Loitu Mollel, Eitan Abraham Mor, Gadi Moshe Moses, Omer Neutra, Tamir Nimrodi, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Alon Ohel, Avinathan Or, Dror Or, Daniel Oz, Daniel Perez, Lior Rudaeff, Jonathan Samerano, Eli Sharabi, Yossi Sharabi, Oron Shaul, Omer Shem-Tov, Tal Shoham, Idan Shtivi, Keith Samuel Siegel, Doron Steinbrecher, Itay Svirsky, Alexander 'Sasha' Troufanov, Ilan Weiss, Omer Wenkert, Yair Yaakov, Ohad Yahalomi, Arbel Yehud, Arye Zalmanovich and Matan Zangauker. It's been a year since the first pogrom of the 21st century and a year since 7 October. Bring all these hostages home to their families. Bring them home now so their families can be reunited. 18:23 Senator HUME 266499 Victoria The day of 7 October 2023 is one that forever changed Israel and sent shock right around the world. The images that are seared onto our memories and into our collective consciousness are from the photographs of those that were killed and those that were taken hostage, but they're also from the body cameras that the Hamas terrorists were wearing. They live streamed their atrocities to the world. Those terrorists were armed with machine guns, knives, grenades and RPGs. They invaded a music festival, where they raped and murdered terrified attendees. They set up roadblocks along highways to gun down unsuspecting families. They infiltrated villages, where they shot victims point-blank and burned homes with their families inside. Innocent people were raped and they were tortured and they were mutilated. One thousand one hundred and thirty-nine innocent people were targeted and brutally murdered in Israel by Hamas. Thirty-six were children. The youngest was 10-month-old Mila Cohen, who was shot. Three hundred and sixty-four were young people attending a music festival. Two hundred and fifty more innocent people were taken hostage and have been hidden in the Hamas tunnels of Gaza under civilian infrastructure in conditions that can only be found in our nightmares. Senator McGrath just named those hostages. Around 100 of them remain in captivity. Some of those are already confirmed dead, but their families cannot bury them. This was not an act of war. There were no rules of engagement. There was no Geneva convention. This was not an act of defence. There was no distinction between civilian and combatant. October 7 was a massacre. It was an act of pure barbarism beyond all comprehension. The trauma inflicted in this one day in this one act has echoed around the globe. But, as unspeakable as it was, rather than a unified outpouring of grief and of comfort to a community that were racked with their own grief, over the past 12 months that anguish, the anguish of Jewish people in Israel and around the world, has been compounded by fear. Antisemitism, an ugly phenomenon that many felt had been relegated to history, has returned. It has bubbled up. It has boiled over, even in Australia. It's on our streets, it's in our social media and it's in our universities. And it's particularly rampant in my home state of Victoria. In fact, according to Australia's antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, Victoria is the worst state in Australia for antisemitism. As of a few weeks ago there were more than 800 antisemitic incidents recorded just since October 7 last year. That is up from just 200—although 200 is too many—in the previous 12 months. Just last weekend a woman in her 60s stopped me at the gym and said that she was a fifth generation Jewish Australian woman, that her father had fought for Australia in World War II, and that, for the first time in her life, she was scared. Another woman stopped me in the supermarket and showed me her small tattoo of the Star of David on her arm. She said that she would no longer wear her necklace in public. What's happened here? This is my neighbourhood. This is my home, our home. This is their home. When did fear become acceptable? It's not just older Jewish Australians either. There are hundreds of submissions to the inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024. But there is one in particular I want to share from a young woman named Mia. These are her words: October 7th was an unimaginable terror. It is still unfathomable. For me, October 7th in Australia started off as a normal day, I watched the St Kilda Women play footy with a mate and stayed off my phone for most of the day. During half-time, my phone blew up with notifications about rockets entering Israel but growing up like this, you become desensitized so I didn't think much of it. On the morning of October 8th, I woke up to horror that is still engraved in my heart and my mind. I knew this moment would change the trajectory of my life, however I didn't understand the impact it would have on the international community as well, especially not the Australian. I could've never imagined it would get like this. She then goes on to talk about her experience at university: A place that was new and exciting, over time became a place I was reluctant to go to. I felt unsafe with the crowd of abusive Pro-Palestinians that protested inside my University. I was constantly being reminded of October 7th, but this time, it was about its "justification". The anti-israel crowd was intense and unforgiving, stopping individuals in crowded hallways and spewing hateful language. This hateful language was not just anti-Israel, but anti-Jew too. False and misleading information gave rise to hate on campus. I felt extremely unsafe and hid my Magen David necklace, with my grandmother begging me to take it off. She finished her submission by saying: I felt no support from my fellow classmates or even fellow Australians. I felt alone in this fight. This is an experience I do not wish on anyone else. …   …   … Please help protect us, I am not asking for much, all I want to do is feel safe in my community. Well, Mia's right. She's not asking for much. She's not asking for much at all. By making that submission to a Senate inquiry she's asking for our help, for the help of everybody in this chamber. Every Australian has the right to feel safe in our country—every single Australian. It's not acceptable that our Jewish community don't feel safe in our country and that they don't feel safe in their homes. It's not right that Jewish schools need to have armed guards. It's not right that students like Mia feel unsafe wearing Jewish symbols out in public. This is not an Australia that I recognise, and it shouldn't be an Australia that anybody recognises—and certainly not one that we accept. There is a dark irony that those who are so quick to cry racism in this place when it suits them are also the ones that condone or even occasionally whip up menacing behaviour outside of these walls. There is no excuse for antisemitism and there is no place for antisemitism in Australia—period. It is the ultimate form of bigotry. 'Never again is now' is a phrase that was repeated many times at yesterday's rally on the lawns of Parliament House, and there is good reason for that. The parallels between October 7 and the 1930s are chilling. If we don't take a strong stance on antisemitism now, we risk repeating the mistakes of the past. Never again is now. Journalist Peter Hartcher said it most eloquently when he said: Australia is a sanctuary from ancient hatreds, not an incubator for them. It begins with respect. For all. I hope that, yesterday, Jewish Australians everywhere felt that respect from their fellow countrymen. I hope they felt it as thousands of Australians stood shoulder to shoulder with them in solidarity with their grief, willing them to ease the weight of their anguish by sharing their pain. Yesterday was Australia's opportunity to pay our respects to the memories of the 1,200 innocent people murdered and massacred on October 7, to pray for the hostages that are still held by the terrorist organisation Hamas, to grieve for the families who have lost those dearest to them and to stand in solidarity with our Jewish community so that they can feel a little safer, sleep a little sounder, knowing that the people that they have put here to represent them stand against antisemitism and stand in support of Israel. 18:33 Senator REYNOLDS 250216 Western Australia I too rise to speak on this motion and I would like to endorse all of the comments from my colleagues on this side of the chamber. As we reflect on the significance of the one-year anniversary yesterday, on 7 October, one of the things that I've been reflecting very deeply on is the fact that this is not just Israel's war. This is equally Australia's war—and for all of our freedom- and democratic-loving countries. We don't have to look too far back in our own history to know that democracy is not self-evident and not self-perpetuating. The freedoms that we all enjoy—not just all of us here—have been fought hard for and must continue to be fought for. We have to accept that the impact of this terrible catastrophe that has occurred in Israel is something we have to fight. We have to fight, not just for the rights of Jewish Australians, who are Australians and who deserve all of the protections and freedoms that are accorded to and are expected by all Australians. But what we have seen here in Australia since 7 October last year is turning our nation into something that, sometimes, I can barely recognise. Hatred has been spewed in this chamber, in the media, on our campuses, in some of our communities and in protests in support of listed terrorist organisations and the atrocities they committed on 7 October. If you listen to some of those opposite, you would think that this was a war and an atrocity that Israel perpetuated. It did not. It was carefully planned and calculated for many years by Hamas. Six months before 7 October, Hamas leader Sinwar was very proud to tell potential donors and supporters that they had been preparing, for years, a big surprise for Israel. They dug at least 150 kilometres of tunnels, going from 30 to 150 feet below Gaza. They built munitions factories underneath Gaza. They built military barracks, tunnels and homes, in essence. They were preparing for war against Israel. How did they fund it? They funded it by diverting aid donations and aid support. They taxed their own people to prepare for war. To prepare for the war that they have unleashed on Israel, they diverted hundreds of millions of dollars from those who needed it most in Gaza. Those opposite talk about the suffering of the Palestinians. Absolutely, but Israel did not start this; Hamas did. They knew what they were doing. They knew when they unleashed thousands of their soldiers into Israel. They sent them with cameras to murder, to commit a massacre, in the most heinous of all ways. They filmed it and they shared it—women, children. It defies discussion or debate. They did this knowing that Israel would retaliate for this unprovoked attack. They knew the danger that they were putting the Palestinian people in. They knew and they did not care. So please do not think for a second that this was Israel's war to start. This is our war to finish, standing side by side with the Israelis. One of the things we haven't focused enough on in this chamber is why this is our war. This is not just what is now a kinetic war in the Levant. Australia and our democratic allies are facing an axis, or an alliance, of four nations, Iran, Russia, China and North Korea, who are working together, hand in hand, in ways that we never thought possible. They are helping each other prosecute their own wars and their own fights. Russia in Ukraine is getting significant support from Iran and North Korea, in terms of ballistic missiles and other supports. Iran is using its proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. They are not just Israel's enemies; they are our enemies as well. What do they have in common? They all have nuclear capabilities, they exert brutal domestic control on their populations and they have a shared hatred of democracy. Those opposite: if you think that this is not what it is about—it is about helping each other fight each other's wars. We are facing a threat in this country. We have been subject to a gross weaponisation of our social media and our media. How on earth have those opposite been so radicalised? How have our universities turned into hotbeds of antisemitism and hatred, having now turned into unsafe places for thousands of Australian students? How have we got high school students who are chanting 'from the river to the sea'? How many of them actually even know what river and what sea and what it actually means? It is a call for genocide that those opposite are now spouting. How has this happened? How were we not paying more attention to how this radicalisation and how this hatred for democracy, how this hatred for Australian—how is this all happening? We have to start looking at things much more closely and understanding that there is so much more at stake than Israel's sovereignty, its right to exist and its right to defend itself. Today in this chamber we commemorate and we mourn for the dead and for the hostages. We mourn for what I think is not just a threat to Israel but a threat to our own democracy. This is why all of us in this place and our nation have to look more widely. We have to say that we stand by Israel. We stand by the Australian Jewish community. We will fight for you. We will fight with you because your fight has to be our fight. 18:42 Senator KOVACIC 306168 New South Wales I rise in recognition of the anniversary of the October 7 attacks against the State of Israel at the hands of the terrorist group Hamas. October 7 is not a day for celebration. October 7 is not a day to make so-called political arguments. October 7 is a day that will, sadly, live in infamy for the barbaric nature of the attacks that occurred on that day. It was the largest loss of life on a single day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters of human history. Just over one year ago today, at dawn, thousands of terrorists in Gaza, which Israel has not occupied since 2005, poured over the border fence by motorbike, by car, by foot and even by paraglider. They did so not in the endeavour of self-determination and not in the endeavour of statehood. They did so in an act of unrelenting violence. They did so with clear contempt for human life. They did so without discrimination of combatant or civilian, of adult or child. They did so in an attempt to inflict as much death and injury as was possible before an Israeli response could occur. Above all, they did so in an attempt to inflict as much terror on the Israeli people as they possibly could. In the first 20 minutes of the attack, some 5,000 rockets roared over the border into Israel. They were unguided rockets with no specific target—not military installations, no specific target. So long as they resulted in the death of any Israeli man, woman or child, Hamas, a terrorist organisation, would see success. At the same time, some 6,000 terrorists poured through newly exploded holes in the border fence. They crossed into Israel and ravaged its border kibbutzim and towns. They ravaged them in a way that the modern world has rarely seen. We all saw the footage that was then turned into propaganda for terrorist organisations and posted all over social media, gloating to the world of the deaths of thousands of civilians in their homes, at the breakfast table, at the bus stop and in the street. October 7 will forever be remembered as one of the darkest days in our history and an example of the worst of our humanity. We must remember what happened, and we can't forget. We can't make excuses for it. Those that seek to make this day about something else do so without the fulsome recognition of the real atrocities that occurred. They do so without uttering the fundamental cause of the attack—antisemitism. I recall, in the aftermath of the attack a year ago, I attended a vigil with the Jewish Australian community in Dover Heights in Sydney. It was deeply moving, and it mourned the loss of life. The Jewish Australian community was joined by so many others wishing to express their thoughts at such a very difficult time. I listened to some powerful speeches from the Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, and from the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton. They were speeches which spoke to everything that is good about our country. At the same time, others were using the days immediately after the attack, before Israel had responded, to organise their own rallies. They were not rallies mourning the dead or those that were kidnapped. They were not peaceful rallies; they were rallies filled with antisemitic chants. They marched from town hall down to our opera house in Sydney and put their vile, racist and antisemitic diatribe on display for the whole world to see. In our country, Australia, we saw intolerance and hate and we saw people celebrating the pain of others. Yesterday we saw other groups in Sydney using the anniversary of the largest massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust, October 7, as a day to demonstrate and protest. There are 364 other days in the year to protest. Why did they need to choose that one day? To inflict further pain—was that the reason? I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, antisemitism and racism in all its forms. We cannot accept that in this country. We cannot look the other way, and we cannot allow for it to be normalised in Australia. The standard we walk past is the standard that we will end up accepting. 18:48 Senator CHANDLER 264449 Tasmania I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion to acknowledge and remember the victims of the appalling October 7 terror attacks, all of the families of those victims and, of course, the hostages who have been held for 366 agonising days by a terrorist group determined to prolong the human suffering they have caused and continue to cause. The terrorism of Hamas, supported and funded by the Islamic Republic of Iran, was not resistance, nor should it be associated with any other form of justification that some have tried to create. It was the mass murder of innocent civilians. That is what we mean, and what the vast majority of Australians mean, when we say we unequivocally condemn the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 last year—unequivocally, meaning we do not need to add to the end of that statement some sort of mealy-mouthed criticism of Israel and its legitimate right to defend itself or take action against the terrorist groups and their funders and backers in Iran, who try every single day to fire rockets and missiles into Israel to kill more Israelis. This is not the behaviour of any rational or reasonable actor; this is the behaviour of terrorists committed to murder and depravity because of an evil, deeply antisemitic ideology. On October 7 last year, the terrorists, rapists and murderers who broke a ceasefire and invaded Israel did not seek out military targets; they sought out innocent, unarmed, defenceless women and children, mothers and fathers, grandparents and grandchildren. They took an evil, disgusting joy in the murders and sexual violence that they were carrying out. Some of the terrorists called home to boast about the Jews that they were murdering. Others filmed and documented the massacre. By any reasonable person, the abhorrent behaviour of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and everybody else involved in the October 7 terrorist attack is unequivocally condemned. More than 1,200 innocent people were murdered in cold blood, hundreds were taken captive and many are yet to be returned. There is no greater evidence that Hamas and the Islamic Republic of Iran want that violence to continue, and continue to escalate, than the fact that they have refused to release those hostages. Just as the actions of Hamas terrorists on October 7 were incomprehensibly abhorrent and shocking, so too have we been disgusted to see here in Australia, in our own country, people who choose to celebrate that terrorism, who claimed that October 7 was a great victory and who used it as an opportunity to chant antisemitic slogans and seek to intimidate Jewish Australians. This disgraceful behaviour has no place in this country, and it is disgusting that it has been allowed to become so normalised that we have seen some in Australia choose yesterday, 7 October, and the lead-up to that date as a chance to push their own divisive and dangerous views even further and to wave flags and show symbols of support for terrorist groups such as Hezbollah. October 7 was an appalling tragedy, but so too is it an appalling tragedy that some in our society saw the footage of that terrorist attack and decided that they sympathise not with the innocent victims of that attack but with the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists. I was proud yesterday to stand with members of the Australian Jewish community on the lawns of this Parliament House to share their pain and their frustration at the events of October 7. Yesterday, we remembered all of those who lost their lives to terror on that tragic day and all of those hostages who remain in captivity. We were joined by people from all walks of life and all backgrounds, including members of our incredible Australian Iranian community, who, I know, know all too well the pain and suffering that is inflicted on innocent people by the Islamic Republic of Iran regime. It is disappointing that the government, in the other place, today would not accept or agree to the opposition's proposed changes to ensure that this motion could be supported on a bipartisan basis; focus specifically on the victims of October 7, their families and the hostages who are still held; and call out those who are to blame for all of the human suffering that occurred that day and every day since—the suffering that is caused by Hamas, by Hezbollah, by the IRI regime and by all of those who support and run cover for them. 18:54 Senator BROCKMAN 30484 Western Australia I too rise to associate myself with the remarks of all my colleagues on this side, particularly the very moving contributions from Senator Chandler, who just spoke, and also Senator McGrath, who spoke earlier and read into the Hansard record the names of those hostages taken and still sadly unaccounted for and whose fate is unknown and whose families must be feeling such ongoing pain as a result of that massive uncertainty and trauma. I know every right-thinking person would feel that same trauma and that same horror at the events that unfolded just over a year ago. The fact that we came into this place in May of this year and the vast majority of this chamber unequivocally condemned the use of the phrase 'from the river to the sea' is something that it seems we have forgotten very quickly, because we have seen it used today on multiple occasions by an elected member of this place, which I think is a great shame. It's a great shame to this chamber and a great shame to Australia. We have seen it chanted in rallies celebrating the events on that terrible day just over a year ago. But I know that certainly all those on this side of the chamber and my colleagues stand with the vast majority of right-thinking Australians, with the Jewish community of Australia and with Israel. I stand against terrorism in all its forms. 18:56 Senator DEAN SMITH 241710 Western Australia Last night Australians joined Jewish communities at candlelight vigils for the victims of the October 7 terrorist attacks—those who lost their lives, those taken hostage and those they have left behind to live in mourning and fear. I was honoured to join the Israeli ambassador, His Excellency Mr Amir Maimon, colleagues and friends at the Israeli embassy here in Canberra. It was a solemn and deeply moving experience for us all, as it was for those attending events across Australia, including in my home state of Western Australia, whose Jewish community I know and value so well. We prayed last night for a safe return of hostages taken in the attacks. We prayed for peace in a region where it's so desperately needed. We prayed for strength in the face of ongoing danger and uncertainty for so many in Israel, in Australia and around the world. We remembered the tragic loss of more than 1,200 people—men, women, children and the elderly, all of them innocent victims—and we stood united in our unequivocal rejection of terrorism as a means of securing political outcomes. On 7 October 2023 was the single deadliest loss of Jewish lives since the Holocaust. A year on, it is as disturbing now as it was then. The world was supposed to have relegated bloodshed like this to the history books. We were supposed to have left antisemitic violence and hatred like this behind us. Instead, the world took a devastating step backwards 12 months ago when Hamas militants crossed the border and committed unimaginable atrocity. People were gunned down in a music festival and in their homes. They were beaten, assaulted and snatched away to be held as hostages. This was not a theatre of war or a strike targeting military assets; it was a hate crime, a murderous rampage against people who had a right to live in peace and security. For the families who have had loved ones killed, there is a feeling of loss that remains very raw. Those who are dead should be here with us today. Their lives were stolen by Hamas and its depraved ideology and opportunism. We mourn their loss. For the relatives and friends of those held in Gaza, there is an incomprehensible sense of dread and despair over the dangers those hostages remain in. Many of the people living in the invaded kibbutzim were humanitarian workers or Israeli citizens who were otherwise compassionate for the issues affecting civilians in Gaza. Residents in the town of Be'eri, for example, organised programs that transported Gazan medical patients to hospitals in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Palestinians worked in Be'eri's fields and local businesses. They were neighbours, but this meant nothing to Hamas. Their homes were burnt down and their lives were taken all the same. The victims of 7 October and the broader Jewish world have also suffered intense fear for the future: the future of Israel, the future of the Middle East and, indeed, the future of Jews everywhere. The fear is that the antisemitism of the past has returned, and is at a level we haven't witnessed for over 80 years. What is most confronting of all is that we are seeing hatred of Jewish people here, in our own Australian communities. We're seeing it on the streets of our major cities, in our universities and on social media. It must be called out without fail, and we will continue to do so. This is unacceptable, it is deplorable and it is indefensible. It is also un-Australian. Nobody in this nation should go through what our Jewish communities are going through. No Australian should live in fear of their fellow citizens or doubt that they belong in their homes, their schools or their workplaces. I should not hear from frightened Jewish constituents in Perth under ongoing threat as they worship or collect their children from Jewish schools. This country was intended by them, as it was by all our forebears, to be a safe haven—a place where citizens could live in harmony and mutual support, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Our values and loyalties are tested at times like these, and it cannot be a test that we, as Australians, fail. A year on, we, with the Jewish people of Australia, must remain in opposition to all forms of anti-Jewish hate, setting a positive example of tolerance and understanding to others not only in our own country but also around the world. But there was also another theme that emerged last night. It was that, despite these endemic feelings of disbelief, fear and grief, hope does remain. Last night, at a vigil attended by the opposition leader, Mr Dutton, among others, David Ossip, the president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, said of Jewish people: 'Resilience runs through our veins.' It is impossible to disagree with this claim. Resilience is the hallmark of the Jewish people—a characteristic of people who have bravely endured a history of persecution. It is a testament to this that, despite this history, the people of Israel live. They are faced with ongoing hatred and discrimination, with remarkable personal loss and with living with security challenges we cannot fathom, but a year on from the events of October 7, the people of Israel continue to live. As I did last night, I will continue to pray for the safe release of the hostages, the defeat of those who risk the future of Israel and humanity—Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis—and a long-overdue and lasting peace for those who deserve it. I pray for Jewish people here in Australia and, indeed, for all Australians. I pray that we remember the values that define us and which should ensure we live in harmony with and with respect for each other always. 19:04 Senator HUGHES 273828 New South Wales I also rise today to stand in solidarity with the people of Israel in commemoration of one of the worst pogroms perpetuated against innocent civilians in a single day since the Holocaust. I honour the innocent civilians in Israel who daily live in fear in a hostile region full of hate-filled people who want to see them eradicated in their entirety. I weep for the hostages who were taken, beaten, tortured, raped and brutally murdered, never to see families again, simply because they were Jewish. I celebrate those who were liberated and released, and we will keep in our prayers the hostages who are yet to be released. My heart breaks for the great loss of life that war and conflict bring. Explosives do not discriminate between civilians and militants; that is the cost of war. But Hamas does discriminate and Hezbollah does discriminate, so let's not forget what led us here. And for all those who show bitter concern for the innocents caught up in the conflict, I can hear their deafening silence in the face of these barbaric acts committed on Israeli soil. There is the hypocrisy of those in this country who dare to upset our civil system of tolerance and respect to bring hatred across the sea to our diverse landscape and, in doing so, threaten to upend our peace and security in the process. These are the people who protest so-called genocide in one breath and then cheer the firing of rockets in another because they now flow the other way. There are those who claim to be critical of the Zionist regime purely so they can veil their antisemitism. There are people who have fled to Australia for peace, prosperity and freedom who challenge this way of life by imposing their brand of hate speech and intimidation on anyone who dares to criticise them. How has this been allowed to continue in this country over the past 12 months? Simply, it has been a lack of leadership from this Prime Minister, a mealy-mouthed approach that even today has seen him speaking out of both sides of his mouth. It would have been nice if the government had stepped up and been decisive, if it had taken a zero-tolerance approach on this issue. It was not our fight but it is becoming our fight as a result of this unfettered vitriol that has been permitted to proliferate. We cannot forget the damage that UNRWA has done. The United Nations organisation has used money from Western nations including our own to radicalise and propagandise impressionable children in the Middle East to grow up with a hatred and dislike of Jews. I have spoken about UNRWA and its disgraceful behaviour in the past in this place. This is an organisation that employed terrorist sympathisers. It employed someone who even went so far as to pray that Hitler would return because his job was not finished. This is a history of tensions between neighbours going back thousands of years that we do not have time to go into today, but we need to remember we would not be standing here today one year and one day on from October 7 if Hamas and, by association, Hezbollah and Iran had not broken the ceasefire, if they had they not attacked innocent young people at a music festival, families living in a kibbutz near the Gazan border, not only torturing them, raping them. As we saw last night at a vigil held at the Israeli embassy, it was not just murder that occurred; it was something even more than that. There is silence from those who know that many of these innocent, unarmed civilians were beheaded, and their heads were placed on the freeway where people were trying to escape. People were having to zig-zag along the road to avoid hitting heads that had been placed there by terrorists. Terrorists wearing GoPros were posting this footage to their social media and proudly sharing with their families back home in Gaza how many Jews they had killed, how many women and children they had raped and tortured. It is beyond barbaric. It is not the behaviour of anyone with a drop of humanity in them. Then there is the fact that those who sympathise with the plight of these murderers—and, unfortunately, some of them are in this place—could not restrain themselves to allow for one day of mourning. They could not allow the Jewish people, the Jewish community in Australia, and, in fact, all decent Australians, to commemorate, to remember what had occurred on October 7, when over 1,200 people were brutally murdered and when 240 hostages were taken. One hundred and one hostages are still being held, and they're not being held in military installations. They're not being held with access to the Red Cross. They're being held in tunnels that Hamas built under schools and hospitals as it cowardly hides amongst its civilians, using them as human shields. The intolerable and disgraceful behaviour of these groups knows no bounds. Yet those that appear to support Hamas and Hezbollah and appear to support the actions of Iran and the eradication of Israel, who declare 'from the river to the sea'—and I would challenge most of them to know what river or sea they're talking about—the fact that they continue on this disgraceful campaign against Israel is just beyond words. It is just extraordinary to hear any Israeli or Jewish person being referred to as a coloniser. Acting Deputy President McGrath, you and I were in Israel together. We walked along one of the roads, which they are currently excavating around, that they think is the path along which Jesus most likely carried the cross. To see where thousands of years ago Jesus, himself a Jew, was supposed to have walked, to read in the Bible the story of the Israelites, going back thousands of years—there are those who so misunderstand history, whether ancient or modern, who refer to Israel as colonisers and who deny their right to exist. It is, in fact, very much their homeland. That is no better illustrated than by the location of Al Aqsa, which was built on top of the Temple Mount, on top of former Jewish temples. It is not the Jews that were the late arrivals in this land. I also want to acknowledge—and it breaks my heart every time I think about them—the two Bibas children, Kfir and Ariel. Kfir recently marked his first birthday in captivity. Nobody knows if he is still alive, but this baby has now spent more time in captivity than at home on the kibbutz where he had been living and from where he had been so violently taken. The fact that this morning we saw in the other place the inability to have a bipartisan motion and acknowledgement of 7 October is a sad indictment on this country's Prime Minister and a divergence from the position of all Labor prime ministers that stood strongly with Israel and that understood the importance of our partnership and friendship with Israel. Yet this Prime Minister, with his cheap political pointscoring, perhaps because he's worried about seats in south-west Sydney, is prepared to undermine decades of bipartisanship, during which everyone, as parties of government, has recognised the importance of our relationship with Israel and the fact that, in an area of great volatility, it is a friend who best reflects our own democratic way of life. The fact is that the Prime Minister is more interested in playing political games than standing up for the Jewish community, and the Jewish community know it. Really, Prime Minister, just stop pretending, because you are actually unable to stand up for not only Israel but, in particular, the Jewish Australian community. We know that they don't feel safe, and that breaks my heart. That is unacceptable. It is unacceptable that people who came to this country looking for peace and stability—many of them now second and third generation; their grandparents were Holocaust survivors—feel unsafe and would prefer to return to Israel, which is under a barrage of missile attacks. They feel more safe there than they do here, with the antisemitism that is currently running through our community and is on full display in south-west Sydney and, more importantly and, I think, more despairingly, is on full display at so many of our universities—which are supposed to be places of higher learning, yet are now just hotbeds of antisemitism. It is absolutely disgraceful. The Holocaust didn't start with the gas chambers. I would implore all of you who did not study modern history—or those of you who did and it has somehow slipped out of your minds—to remember that, because what is happening now is in so many ways almost repeating what happened in the lead-up to World War II, such as Kristallnacht. You can look at the way that things have been and the attacks that have occurred on Jewish communities, Jewish businesses and Jewish schools and the fact that aged-care homes have to have armed guards securing them. We know schools do. It is absolutely appalling. I do want to commend those Australians who have stood up and been counted and stood alongside our Jewish fellow citizens. There are people, and a lot of us, who support you here in this country. Yesterday, at the Never Again is Now rally down on the Parliament House lawn, it was interesting to hear—I think that this is an important message for people to hear, and I've been guilty of saying it as well—that the silent majority of Australians stand strong with the Jewish community and support the Jewish community and are not antisemitic. But the time for being the silent majority is over. The time for silence is over. It is time to speak up and say that this is not acceptable, that this is not the country we live in and that this is not behaviour that is appropriate for Australia. But it is not appropriate behaviour towards any group of fellow citizens, whoever they are. We know what happens up the end of the chamber, with their undergraduate stunts and lack of understanding or ability to recognise what has actually occurred and how this started. But I do want to say that I stand with the Australian Jewish community. I honour them. How they have been treated is appalling. They deserved the right to mark a day of mourning unimpeded by protest. For myself—maybe not for many or all of us in this place—I apologise that there wasn't leadership from the government. Neither on 7 October last year nor onwards has there been leadership that has stopped the appalling behaviour of these protesters, who have been intimidating you on what should have been a very, very solemn day or remembrance. 19:18 Senator LIDDLE 300644 South Australia Imagine attending university, which should be a place of wonder and learning, but instead being met with chants of 'death to Israel' and even 'death to Australia'. That's what Jewish students endured at a meeting questioning an article, published by the University of Adelaide's student magazine, that ended with: 'The solution to achieving peace and bringing forth justice for Palestine is to demand the abolition of Israel. Free Palestine and death to Israel.' That's pretty clear, pretty ugly, vile stuff. This week the former editor of the university's magazine led a pro-Palestine rally in Adelaide, continuing that vile commentary that is never acceptable—not ever and not on Australian soil. In Australia we enjoy the privilege of living in a democracy where we have the gift of many, many freedoms. We must value that and hold that close to us, never ceding the concept of freedom and never letting it fray at the edges. There is no place for the promotion of terrorist organisations, not on our university campuses, not on the steps of our South Australian parliament, not here in Canberra, not anywhere. When students held an unauthorised four-week pro-Palestinian encampment on the Adelaide campus in May this year, my instinct was that university is a place of learning; it's not a campsite. So the decision to move them on should have been an easy one. That should have happened immediately. Every Australian should rightly shudder at accounts of Adelaide students about life on campus, as conveyed in submissions to a Senate inquiry. A first-year Jewish student at the University of Adelaide recounted: 'It has become a place, like most other places in the world, where we are othered. I most likely speak for most of our Jewish students when I say this is not a place where I can feel proud of my faith or even the smallest bit comfortable to make it known.' People hiding their own identity—how tragic in Australia, in our free country. As a graduate of the University of Adelaide and a governing council member, I think this is a deeply disturbing reflection on an experience at a place of intellectual inquiry and learning, not of fear, intimidation and exclusion. In a submission to the committee inquiry into the Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024, an Adelaide mother explained being scared for her daughter who had decided, for her own mental health, to attend campus only when absolutely necessary. This is not just happening on campuses. It is also happening in the wider community—on the streets, in clubs and in shops. We must reflect on the kind of Australia we want. We should demand zero tolerance for any support of terrorism or any attempt to indoctrinate children or our young minds at universities. Contributing to the failure to crack down on antisemitism is the failure of this Prime Minister to address this with clarity and conviction. In October and November 2023, there was a 738 per cent increase in the number of reported antisemitic incidents in Australia compared to the two months one year earlier. Never Again is Now organiser Mark Leach told me yesterday, at a vigil here at Parliament House, that there had been a 1,000 per cent increase in antisemitism since 7 October. In the year since Jews faced the most murderous slaughter since the Holocaust, the opponents of Israel have denied charges of racism by insisting: 'I'm not antisemitic. I'm not anti-Zionist. I don't hate Jews. I hate their state.' Terrorism has no boundaries, and we should give it no room, no space, no oxygen. I know people who've seen images from 7 October, from body cameras worn by those terrorists, but I don't need to see it to appreciate the scale of the horror that was endured on that day. I hope everyone in Australia never has to endure that. What Australia needs is strong leadership, and that's what a coalition government would provide, restoring moral clarity and acting with moral courage. We condemn Hamas's terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, which killed more than 1,200 innocent Israelis. We mourn all impacted by these heinous acts. We call out the terrorists, we call out hatred and we will use the full force of our democratic institutions, our laws and this parliament to do that. And we should. 19:24 Senator NAMPIJINPA PRICE 263528 Northern Territory I rise to speak on the government's motion regarding the October 7 attacks committed by Hamas. Yesterday we marked 12 months since the horrific and inexcusable attack by Hamas, an abhorrent militant group, on the democratic nation of Israel and its people. We remembered those lives that were lost; their families, who will never be the same again; and those who are yet to be returned and remain hostages. This is a disappointing motion by the Albanese labour government. It is an abandonment by the Prime Minister of a bipartisan approach to these issues. The Prime Minister has consistently failed over the last 12 months to take a strong stance or show of support for Israel and the Jewish community. It is that failure to lead well that has caused so much antisemitism to take root in this country. We know where antisemitism can lead. History has shown us that. That's why this is not a matter on which the Prime Minister can afford to be on the fence. Hamas, Hezbollah and these evil militants must be condemned in the strongest of terms. Domestic political gain should not be a factor in Australia's response or condemnation of these groups. Unfortunately, we have seen Anthony Albanese and his Labor government prioritising their chances of election success at the expense of supporting the nation of Israel. I've said it before and I will say it again: the Prime Minister must visit Israel. He must go to these sites and come face to face with the evil that was committed. Following the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Nazi Holocaust, he must lead by example and see the atrocities committed against its people. In March of this year I had the solemn and sobering privilege of visiting Israel. I visited those sites, walked the pathways of those who are no longer with us. Let me tell you: it is absolutely harrowing. There's no other way to describe it. We can't even imagine in our own country what it is like to send our preschoolers to school and to teach them to find safety should they hear sirens or hear rocket fire. Our children freely attend preschool and aren't subject to having to understand what this means. We don't have to send our high school students, once they graduate, to the military to learn how to defend our nation. We don't have borders that are lined with enemies that would prefer to see our destruction, to see us eliminated from the face of the earth. As a mother of four sons of my own, I cannot imagine seeing them on their days off, should they have to be enlisted by the military, to walk the streets, to patrol the streets, to ensure the safety of their community. We live a luxurious life in this country and we must not forget that, but we must not allow it to make us complacent in the face of the horrific antisemitism that we're seeing. I viewed the footage of innocent Israelis being attacked brutally, utterly brutally, with pure evil intent by members of Hamas. I can tell you that those images stay with you. They never leave your mind. They bring back a feeling in the pit of my stomach—one that I can't shake. Young children, some of the most vulnerable members of our population, who should never have to think about terrorism, let alone be in the midst of it—children just like that—were awoken by the sound of rocket fire and gunfire. I watched the footage of them running to their garden bomb shelter with their father, thinking that they were safe. Just as they think they are safe from attacks from the air, it proves to be a murderous, cold-blooded ground assault, with a grenade being thrown into the safe room and blowing their father, who tried to save their lives by diving on top of them, to pieces. I saw slightly older teenagers and young adults, the same age as my sons, being hunted down and killed as they drove up to roadblocks. I imagined my own sons in that situation. Teenage girls huddled together in a shelter, scared because of the rocket fire going on above them. A Hamas terrorist then appeared in the shelter, and the girls looked at each other in confusion: 'Who is this man with this gun?' The next thing is those young teenage girls lying dead on the floor of that shelter, surrounded by gloating terrorists from Hamas. There is no place for supporters of terror in this country. There is no place for supporters of those who would snuff out the lives of teenage girls, who would rape and murder them. How can those images possibly ever leave your mind once you see that? For those survivors who are still alive, that is burned into their minds. It's made all the more deplorable, of course, by the footage of those Hamas militants rejoicing and calling them Jewish pigs—that is what they call them—and claiming that that was their role in the name of Allah. The events of October 7 were an absolute massacre, not an act of self-defence. There is no excuse for them and no explanation other than pure evil and terrorism. Fanatical terrorists who are driven by evil ideology are not interested in a two-state solution. They are not interested in a peaceful co-existence of Israel and Palestine. They do not want an end to the war. They do not want a ceasefire or peaceful negotiations. They demonstrate that at every turn. They want the total destruction of the Jewish people. They want Israel wiped from the face of the earth. Let's not forget that, within Israel's borders, it is not only Jewish people who live in a peaceful democracy; it is Arab Muslims, Christians and atheists living peacefully. Hamas and the terrorists want them all gone. They don't just want the Jewish people of Israel gone; they want them all gone. They want the Arab Muslims gone. They want the Christians gone. They want the atheists gone. They want the whole of Israel wiped off the face of the earth. These terrorists are indoctrinated right from childhood that martyrdom is the ultimate accomplishment in life. For Hamas, death in pursuit of its cause, even the death of its own civilians, is praised. Hamas doesn't care about humanity, and that was completely evident by the footage that I saw. It puts no value on human life. It uses citizens, children and civilians, as human shields, and then it relies on the goodwill and even the ignorance of the rest of the world to clean up its own mess. Further to that, it relies on the goodwill and the ignorance of others to continue to pursue its agenda of terrorism and the annihilation of the Jewish people. It has relied on the naivety of the West, and we are seeing the devastating consequences of that with the incredible rise of antisemitism in this country. The progressive Left have been more than willing to do the bidding of this terrorist organisation, and it is an indictment on the Albanese government that they too are buying into it. The Prime Minister must demonstrate to the world that Australia will not stand idly by, ambivalent to the creeping indifference of the world towards the ultimate goals of Hamas and its evil partners. Israel must always be supported in its right to exist as a nation. We, as a nation, must not continue the work of the Nazis in the form of Hamas, Hezbollah and their evil allies. We must all stand up and say no. We must all stand up for the Jewish members of our own community. Similar to the responses that we saw during the war on terror when it was suggested that we do not subject the Muslim community to Islamophobia, we must not subject the Jewish people of our community to antisemitism. There is no place in Australia for antisemitism. It was the same when the tension between our nation and China took hold not so long ago. We were told we do not target the Chinese people. We condemn the Chinese government, the CCP, but we do not target Chinese people or people of Chinese heritage in our country, so we do not do this to the Jewish people of this country. We stamp out antisemitism. We do not encourage it. We learn from world history. There is no room for ambivalence in this fight, and Israel need us as their allies in the West to stand with them now more than ever. It is true this fight is not just a fight for Israel; it is a fight for the free world, for democracy. They are the final bastion of hope, and we must stand with them. If we ignore this—you can believe it—we will be next. Let me remind you, Hamas, Hezbollah, the terrorist organisations, are not interested in humanity. With whatever humanity we have as a nation, we must stand together with Israel. 19:39 Senator COLBECK 00AOL Tasmania I rise to make my contribution to this motion, a motion which should be devoted to the commemoration of events in Israel on October 7. It's that simple. It should not be that difficult in this place to devote one motion to acknowledging and condemning those horrific, barbaric, inhumane actions perpetrated in Israel on October 7 last year. That is not to diminish the impact of the resulting conflict on all of those who are being affected. The thousands of lives lost and the thousands more directly and indirectly impacted can, and should, be acknowledged. This entire conflict and all of us impacted are to be lamented. Who in their right mind would want this? I think that all of us in this place want to live our lives in peace, and we seek that for all communities globally. I reflect on the words of Israel's ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, last night at the ceremony commemorating the loss of life on October 7 last year and the words he has repeated a number of times over the last year: 'We did not want this war. We do not ask for this war.' That brings me back to the question of a few moments ago: who in their right mind would want this? It seems the only ones who want this are Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi—Iran. Why do they want this? Because they want to complete the attempted genocide of the Israeli people, the extermination of the State of Israel. Senators come into this place talking of genocide yet ignore the reality that they campaign against the people who have been the subject of an attempted genocide—the Jewish Israeli people, people whose government have rightly vowed that such an attempted genocide will not happen again. We, as a parliament, should stand with the Israeli government to ensure that such an attempted genocide can never happen again. How is it that our country has forgotten the lessons of that attempted genocide? How is it that antisemitism has grown to such an extent in this great country? How was it that antisemitism runs rife through our universities and our communities? How is it that Jewish people don't feel safe in this country? And how is it that this parliament can't devote one motion to the memory of October 7? This is not the Australian way. All of us in this place seek peace in the Middle East. All of us want to see the release of the remaining 101 hostages. Yet, we can't devote a single motion to the commemoration of the evil events perpetrated a year ago: the mass murder of innocent civilians—women, children—indiscriminately, deliberately slaughtered. Young people enjoying a concert, parents and grandparents going about their daily lives—101 hostages taken and tortured, continuing to be held. These actions—disgracefully, shamefully celebrated by Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi, Iran and their sympathisers—are actions that none of us can reasonably claim to comprehend. They can only be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Last night, thousands attended vigils around this country in support of the Jewish people and the people of Israel. We listened to the profound stories of those who lost family friends and of community members who still wait for the release of the hostages. We prayed for peace. We prayed for the release of those hostages. Here in Canberra, we appreciated the words of commemoration from Senator O'Neill and, particularly, from Senator Sharma. We heard of the determination of the Israeli people to be able to live peacefully in their communities—something, surely, we can all aspire to. It's something that this parliament should have been able to devote one motion to. I support the amendments to this motion proposed by Senator Birmingham, standing in support of the Israeli people as they commemorate the largest loss of life of their people since the terrible events in the attempted genocide of World War II. 19:47 Senator HENDERSON ZN4 Victoria I rise to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October last year, claiming the lives of more than 1,200 innocent Israelis. It was a brutal and unprovoked assault on civilians, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. It is a tragedy which continues to reverberate through the Jewish community, here in Australia and around the world. Today, we remember the victims and we stand resolutely against the forces of terror and terrorists. We all saw the gut-wrenching vision: terrorists parachuting into a music festival, where those who were there to enjoy the music were hunted down, brutally tortured and murdered—some 360 in total. We saw the footage of people scrambling across open fields, desperate to escape. Cars were peppered with bullet holes, abandoned with doors opened and bodies burnt beyond recognition. Then there were stories from the many Jewish communities which border Gaza, where the early morning was shattered by this heinous attack. There were screams from the innocent Israelis as they were dragged from their homes, shot or stabbed to death in front of family members. Others were filmed as they were brutalised then pulled into the back of vehicles and driven back across the border. Today, it's reported that over 60 hostages and the remains of over 30 hostages—these numbers are very unclear—are still being held in Gaza at the hands of Hamas, a terror group committed to one cause: the complete destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. Israel was at the centre of Hamas's evil last year, but the shockwaves of the terrorist attack resonated around the world. That day of depravity—as I say, the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust—awoke and exposed an antisemitic rot afflicting Western democracies, including tragically here in this country. Last night, I was privileged to be amongst some 5,000 people at an incredible gathering in Melbourne to commemorate October 7. It was a profoundly moving evening and an opportunity for deep reflection, to mourn and to grieve. It was underlined by the continuing impact this horrendous attack and the subsequent alarming rise in antisemitism across Melbourne and across this country has had on Jewish Australians and on Australians across the board. Zionism Victoria president Yossi Goldfarb did not pull his punches when he called out the inaction of the Albanese government. He said: We have seen darkness in Australia. Darkness underpinned by virulent and dangerous anti-Semitism that is, in the view of our community, simply out of control, a threat to everything that makes our country unique and great. There is a permissiveness that has let anti-Semitism fester. A permissiveness encouraged by weak and ambiguous expositions of our foreign policy that, in our community's view, have weakened our social cohesion, leaving us to feel that the state of Israel has been abandoned as a natural ally of the Australian people. The roar from the crowd in response to those words was incredible. The Jewish people of this country largely feel betrayed by this government. As the shadow minister for education I have been very proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jewish students and staff from universities and with Jewish students attending Jewish schools and their families. We know the stories, and they are deeply traumatising. As we heard in the Senate inquiry on the bill to establish a commission of inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities, Jewish students are saying that they have been forced, since October last year, to choose between their safety and their education. That is completely untenable. Students are staying at home. They are too afraid to go to university. They are hiding in the shadows. They are not wearing the symbols of their faith for fear of intimidation, vilification and all the other horrendous things that have happened on university campuses which we have exposed over many months. Earlier today in the other place, opposition leader Mr Dutton raised deep concerns after he sought to work with the Prime Minister on a motion that would have unequivocally condemned Hamas and honoured those murdered a year ago. As Mr Dutton stated, Mr Albanese opted to go it alone, continuing to speak from both sides of his mouth. But it's a familiar narrative. This is a government which has turned its back on its own antisemitism envoy. Before our committee to establish a commission of inquiry, which was so brilliantly prosecuted by the member for Berowra in his private member's bill in the other place, the antisemitism envoy urged that a judicial inquiry be established. She identified that antisemitism at universities was so embedded and so systemic that anything less was not good enough. Throughout the inquiry, we heard stories of despair after children were allowed onto the University of Sydney campus, where they chanted, 'Intifada,' and, 'From the river to the sea.' I will say that the minister has now essentially apologised because of these statements, but he initially said that chants such as these meant different things to different people, and that caused enormous distress to many Australian Jews. Of course, we had a situation at the University of Sydney where members of Hizb ut-Tahrir infiltrated the campus. We called on the Albanese government and the minister to conduct a full investigation into to how this could have happened and how the vice-chancellor's office knew about this for weeks and did nothing, when these people were menacing and terrorising students and staff. Yet that investigation never happened. Whatever may have been raised in private, the Minister for Education never said anything publicly, and I remain stunned by that decision. It is absolutely essential that we see zero tolerance of antisemitism on university campuses, just as it is absolutely essential that we see zero tolerance of antisemitism in every corner of this country. Even after we handed down our dissenting report calling for a commission of inquiry, we've now seen other stories that Jewish students have raised about what has happened on university campuses, including a Jewish student who raised complaints about some shocking slogans that were being yelled at Deakin University in relation to Zionists. The family of that student is deeply concerned that appropriate action was not taken. There was an academic at the University of New South Wales—and this happened only in the last couple of weeks—who was giving a speech to pro-Palestinian supporters or protesters and said, 'Our job is to make Jews feel very uncomfortable.' This was recorded on video at the University of New South Wales. I have been advised that the university is taking this very seriously, but this incident happened just in the last few weeks. I do want to thank Monash University and acknowledge its efforts. There was an event scheduled by the Monash University Islamic Society, a fundraising dinner that was scheduled to coincide with the first anniversary of October 7. That was scheduled for last night. I am very pleased that when I raised my deep concerns with the university's vice-chancellor, Professor Pickering, the university took action and prohibited that event from going ahead. I'm very proud to be part of a coalition led by Mr Dutton, who has a clear conviction about the importance of standing with Israel and with Jewish Australians. Jewish Australians understand that, to do so, you need the moral courage and clarity of your convictions, and we have seen that in spades from Mr Dutton, who has been unwavering in his support for Israel and in his efforts to forge a united and bipartisan response from this parliament. As Yossi Goldfarb so powerfully stated last night, we cannot allow permissiveness to let antisemitism fester in our society. We proudly stand firm in our support for Israel, for Jewish Australians and for the peace and security that we all cherish and that Jewish Australians and all Jews around the world so deserve. 19:59 Senator O'SULLIVAN 283585 Western Australia I think we can all agree that the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas was not only a tragedy but a stark reminder of the fragility of peace and the price of freedom. Events like these shake us to our core, reminding us that freedom and security do not come by accident—nor are they guaranteed. Just as Australia cherishes its own freedoms, we are reminded today that we must make active choices to defend these values, not just within our borders but also by standing with our allies. The world saw, on that terrible day just over 12 months ago, the dangers posed by those who seek to undermine peace through terror. October 7 was the single deadliest day for Israelis and Jews since the Holocaust. Let us be clear about the horrors that unfolded on that day. As dawn broke and some families slept in their rooms, the terrorist group Hamas brutally and indiscriminately slaughtered more than 1,200 innocent men, women and children. The attack was deliberate, calculating, and resembled evil that the world has seen raised too often against this Jewish homeland. They were burned, shot and tortured in their homes, at the music festival, during a morning walk, all while desperately trying to escape their attackers. Hamas perpetuated violence upon the State of Israel. This senseless murder of innocent lives was not the only thing to occur. Over 250 people were ripped from their family's homes and from friends and taken into Gaza as civilian hostages, as human shields. These hostages represent over two dozen nationalities and include Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and indeed atheists. Their only crime, according to Hamas, was being a member of the Jewish state. Today, 366 days later, 101 hostages remain in Gaza, and their fate and condition are still unknown. When evil strikes, it's not time to be hesitant, manoeuvre or be ambiguous. When evil strikes, it's not a time for moral indecision. In each generation, evil has a name. In this generation, that name is Hamas. Since the October 7 attacks, we've seen a fresh wave of antisemitism crash on our shores. It took less than two days, following the attacks, for that to rise to the surface here in Australia. The disturbing surge of hatred on the steps of the Sydney Opera House on 9 October was astounding. Australia watched on as pro-Palestine protesters gathered, in full view of a large police presence, and openly chanted, 'Gas the Jews,' yet not a single person was arrested for hate speech or incitement to violence. Across university campuses, this antisemitism escalated, with regular pro-Palestinian marches. Protesters waved Hamas flags and organised demonstrations filled with anti-Zionist and antisemitic banners, placards and rhetoric. Eighty years on from the world's worst demonstration of organised antisemitism, we are today seeing an uncanny resemblance in our own city streets. We've learnt that Jewish students and lecturers are being harassed at their university campuses and in their workplaces. University authorities are failing to take decisive action to address the rising wave of hatred. At Senate estimates earlier this year, we heard of what was going on at our university campuses. I personally met with some of the students that came to see me here in this place, and they told me the tale of what is going on at their university campus, just a few kilometres away from this building here, at ANU. The remarkable thing about their story was that they were putting up with these taunts and these racial vilifying comments by the people that were encamped there at ANU. They were putting up with it not just at their university campus but at their home, because these were residential students having to deal with this at their own place of accommodation. They couldn't escape it. They weren't just exposed to it when they had their contact hours. They were living with it every single day and dealing with the fear of being targeted in the way that they were. In Senate estimates, we had the ANU vice-chancellor in front of us, and there were, no doubt, very sincere platitudes given in regard to the fact that care, love and nurturing is provided to all students. But, while those students who were in the public gallery sat there—and I was watching them as answers were given by people at the table—they were hanging their heads and shaking their heads because they know that there is not enough that's being done to stamp out the racism, to stamp out this atrocious activity that's occurring there on their campus. More needs to be done. Jewish Australians no longer feel safe in their homes, their places of worship or in an education setting. The antisemitism to which we had once said 'never again' has raised its ugly head from our own soil. One year on, the hostile antisemitic fog continues to hover over this nation. As thousands have poured into the streets in solidarity with terrorist groups, the leader of this nation has been painfully slow to act. The pleas from Jewish Australians have been met with little more than a special envoy appointment by the Prime Minister. The Labor Party is a shadow from former prime minister Bob Hawke's warning. If the bell tolls for Israel, he said, it won't just toll for Israel; it will toll for all mankind. Led by a prime minister that continues to toe the line and a foreign minister that chooses to pander to pro-Palestinian activists, the proverbial bell has tolled on the deaf ears of the Australian Labor Party. The recent inquiry into the rise of antisemitism shows that Jewish Australians are suffering the consequences of this government's approach. One submission for the Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024 (No. 2) said: I am a Jewish Australian, born and raised in Western Australia (WA)— my home state— and have lived here with my family for 65 years. I am deeply concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia and globally. My greatest concern is the lack of strong leadership from those in positions of power and authority in Australia. These leaders often appear reluctant to take decisive action against anti-Semitism, possibly to avoid offending the larger Muslim community and risking their political support. The author of this submission is not alone in this concern. I think they've nailed it—absolutely nailed it. It's exactly why, and it's exactly what's going on. In this Prime Minister, we do not have a leader who will stand firm in the face of adversity; we have a crowd-pleaser who is at the beck and call of applause. Someone who deeply understood the cost of standing up for freedom was the German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Known for his resistance to the Nazi regime during World War II, Bonhoeffer was imprisoned and eventually executed for his defiance. In his most influential work, The Cost of Discipleship, he introduced the concept of cheap grace, a grace that demands nothing from the believer and requires no sacrifice. In the same way, we must ensure that our commitment to freedom is not reduced to cheap freedom. True freedom, as Bonhoeffer's idea of costly grace suggests, comes at a price, demanding vigilance, accountability and sometimes profound sacrifice. This is the very lesson we are reminded of today. As we reflect on the brutal violence inflicted upon Israel, we cannot afford to take our own freedoms for granted nor can we expect to endure without our active defence. The freedoms we enjoy here in Australia, like freedoms of speech, assembly and religion, are invaluable but require a commitment to stand against those who would harm them, whether at home or, indeed, abroad. As Australians, we know that we have been fortunate, blessed even, to live in a country where peace and democracy prevail. Like Israel, we too must be ready to defend these blessings, knowing that they are not guaranteed and that real freedom always comes at a cost. In closing, when laying the cornerstone of the future site of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in October 1988, President Ronald Reagan said: We must make sure that from now until the end of days all humankind stares this evil in the face, that all humankind knows what this evil looks like and how it came to be. And when we truly know it for what it was, then and only then can we be sure that it will never come again. Well, evil visited the nation of Israel on October 7 and we are now all too familiar with what evil looks like. As conflict rages on and as Israel fights to defend itself against the terrorist groups in the region, we know what evil looks like. The State of Israel suffered a grievous blow on that day. We refuse to forget the crime on humanity that was October 7, irrespective of left-wing ideology or rhetoric. On this one-year anniversary, I lend my prayers to the men, the women and the children of Israel and to the Australian families whose grief cannot be consoled. As they have done for centuries, the Jewish people will demonstrate their resilience, and I have no doubt that they will continue to prevail. 20:13 Senator SCARR 282997 Queensland Before making my contribution, if I can pay my deep compliments to my colleague Senator O'Sullivan for that outstanding contribution on this motion. Last night, on 7 October 2024, I attended a commemoration convened by the Jewish community of Queensland on the first anniversary of the horrific events of 7 October 2023. My thoughts and prayers are with the Jewish community in Queensland. I'd like to acknowledge the contributions made during that commemoration by young members of the Jewish community. It was extremely difficult to make contributions in the context of such grief while dealing with such confronting issues, but I say to those young members of the Jewish community who had contributions last night: you should be extremely proud of yourselves, because you, as young members of the community, showed so much courage. In making your contributions, you bring great honour upon the Jewish community of Queensland and you give hope for the future. At the commemoration a poem was read by a member of the community. It was a poem written by Shimon Elkabets, who lost his daughter on 7 October 2023. I want to read this poem into the record. It was called 'Never Again': Most terrifying is the longing That lands on you without warning It makes you cry at the most ill-timed moment Right when you have a bag of items at the checkout What stings the most is the feeling of guilt Why weren't you with her in the moments of terror In the hours she was under fire and blood All she wanted is for you To say that everything will be OK. Never again our parents told us Never again our leaders promised Never again we told our children Only the world is no longer there for us Most terrifying is the longing Why weren't you with her All she wanted is for you To say that everything will be okay Never again our parents told us Never again our leaders promised Never again we told our children Only the world is no longer there for us We're left on our own Most terrifying is the longing Is the longing That's a poem that was read at the commemoration in Brisbane last night—a poem by Shimon Elkabets, who lost his daughter on 7 October. After hearing that poem last night, I decided to see what I could find about the Elkabets family and the experience of a father that led him to write such a heart-wrenching poem. There is an article in the Jerusalem Post from 13 August 2024 which provides the context in which Mr Elkabets wrote that poem. I want to quote from this article. The article relates to the experience of the Elkabets family. … one family in four houses scattered across Kfar Aza, a kibbutz near the Gaza border where terrorists murdered more than 50 and took about 20 hostages on October 7. It describes: … the Elkabets family, who had been celebrating the 36th wedding anniversary of the parents, Shimon and Anati Elkabets, the night before. They lived in one house, while their daughter Noa lived in the young people's neighborhood of the kibbutz, and their daughter Sivan and her boyfriend, Naor Hasidim, were in a third house, and their son, Guy, and his wife and children, in another. So four houses in the kibbutz the family was spread across. I quote from the article: On the morning of the massacre, they might as well have been separated by thousands of miles, although the actual distance among their homes was just a few hundred meters. Following the firing of missiles from Gaza, they soon heard gunshots and communicated with each other by phone. Each house faced a different ordeal, as terrorists entered each one, killing some and giving up on others when they could not easily open doors to the safe rooms. Another son Nadav … was in touch with them from afar and asked his army commanders to send him there right away, but was told he would be given orders soon. Meanwhile, reports of the massacre began to surface, through text messages and news reports. Guided by the texts from his family, he began directing the army to different houses under attack. THE FAMILY MEMBERS' concern for each other is touching as they all worry about the others. When they stopped hearing from Sivan at about 11 that morning, she became the focus of their concern. Shimon speaks movingly, more with his eyes than with his words, about wanting to help his daughter, who was so close, yet so far. Anati hoped against hope that her daughter had survived. They all wondered where the army was, and it took days for the kibbutz to be cleared of terrorists, although some of the survivors were evacuated after about 12 hours. Shimon, a prominent print and radio journalist, was eventually able to find out some of the details about his daughter's last moments, as the family learned that she was found dead in a different house. A documentary film about their experiences shows: … a visit by the survivors to Sivan's home months later, where they discovered a bloodstained apartment that had been trashed, which featured a sign that even in their worst nightmares they never imagined they would see, "Human Remains on the Sofa." The first responders used such signs to mark the homes where bodies had been found. That is the story of the Elkabets family, the father of whom, Shimon, wrote the poem Never Again, which was read in Brisbane last night at the commemoration of the events of 7 October. Within a few kilometres of the events occurring at the kibbutz was an amazing act of bravery. I would like to place on the record this act of bravery which I think should give us all hope. I'll quote again from an article, this time by reporter Deborah Danan, entitled, 'Bedouin bus driver credited with saving 30 Israelis from Hamas's outdoor party massacre'. This article was written on 21 October 2023, so a few weeks after the event. It says: Youssef Ziadna recalls driving into the line of fire … Every day at 4 p.m., Youssef Ziadna receives a phone call from a psychologist. Every evening, he sits on his balcony drinking coffee, smoking and replaying in his mind the worst things he has ever seen. The daily routine would have been unimaginable for Ziadna, a 47-year-old Bedouin Israeli resident of Rahat, just two weeks ago. A minibus driver, he filled his days ferrying passengers around Israel's southern region. But on October 7, he was called to pick up one of his regular customers and raced headlong into Hamas's brutal terror assault on Israel. He is credited with having rescued 30 people, all Jewish Israelis, from the massacre at the outdoor Supernova party near Israel's southern border, dodging bullets and veering off-road to bring them to safety. "I would never wish on anyone to see what I saw," Ziadna told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "This is trauma for my whole life. When I sit alone and recollect, I can't help the tears." …   …   … Ziadna is "a larger-than-life man to whom we will forever be indebted," Amit Hadar wrote in Hebrew in a post that was shared widely starting on October 7. "When, with God's help, we reach better days, save the number for the next time you need a ride—if anyone deserves it, this person does." Yet at the same time, Ziadna is grieving a cousin who was murdered during the attack and worrying about four other family members who remain missing. He also received a threat from someone who claimed to be affiliated with Hamas, vowing retaliation for Ziadna's efforts to save Jews after they were recounted in a local newspaper. …   …   … The stress of it all has already sent him to the emergency room with chest pains—but he is determined to press on. I quote again from this amazing human being: "When I think about it, I ask how did we get out of there," Ziadna recalled on October 17, 10 days after the massacre. "I guess it's fate that we're meant to live longer in this world." Ziadna started October 7 early, driving Hadar and eight of his friends from the town of Omer to the rave at Kibbutz Re'im at 1 a.m. He left with the instruction to pick them up the following day at 3 p.m. But at 6 a.m. he received a call for help from Hadar. Believing that the call for help was due to a code red for incoming rockets fired from Gaza, Ziadna raced to his bus. "I didn't wash my face, I didn't even get dressed," Ziadna said. "This is standard over here in the south." But as soon as he reached the Sa'ad junction, a mile away from Kfar Aza, one of the Gaza border communities that experienced some of the worst horrors of the Oct. 7 massacre, a new picture began to emerge. A man who had escaped from the party ran towards him, furiously signaling to Ziadna to make a U-turn. Ziadna, not comprehending, exited the minibus to speak to him. Moments later, Ziadna, the man and a woman who accompanied him were caught in gunfire. "Bullets were flying everywhere," Ziadna said, adding that the three dived into a ditch on the side of the road. He said, "I raised my head and the guy told me, 'Why are you doing that? You'll get a bullet in your brain!'" Ziadna told the disbelieving couple that he would continue on to the site of the party. "I stared death in the face," he said. "But I knew I couldn't give up on my missions. I will go and rescue them." Navigating through bullet fire, Ziadna managed to reach his passengers at the scene of the party … where an inferno of bodies, blood and bullets rained. "I told them to bring as many as possible," he said. Twenty-four additional people crammed into the 14-seater vehicle, and on the way, they rescued another couple, one of whom had been shot in the leg. Ziadna says he also caught sight of a motorized Hamas paraglider hovering above, spraying bullets with a machine gun at revelers. Under constant gunfire, the minibus sped away. This is what Ziadna said at the end of recalling his story: "I had an option to go back. A weaker man may have done a U-turn at that junction," … "But I said no way, I will throw myself at death if it means I can save lives." Ziadna, I'm telling your story here in the Australian Senate because you provide inspiration to the whole world. At the end of the Queensland commemoration of 7 October 2023, we lit lanterns. We lit lanterns—lanterns giving off light, lanterns dispelling darkness. Light is a symbol of good. Light is a symbol of beauty. Light is a symbol of redemption, healing, truth, peace, justice and hope. Let us pray for more light in this world. Let us pray for more light, dispelling darkness. 20:27 Senator DUNIAM 263418 Tasmania I too would like to make a contribution to this opportunity to reflect on, frankly, unimaginable loss—loss that is incomprehensible on so many levels—and, similarly, on the inhumane acts by some in our world that have led to this loss. The scale and the depravity, the tragedy, that so many have experienced in this conflict is extremely well documented, both in the media but also by many of my colleagues here. We've just heard a couple of very moving contributions about exactly how what we're talking about here, one year on from 7 October 2023, has impacted some in our community, mainly the Jewish community of Australia, but particularly the Jewish community right around the world. As we reflect one year on, I think it is critically important for us to consider that normally reflections on these sorts of things occur after a static event. But we reflect on this as these events continue to unfold, as the harm and pain continue to be felt by members of the Jewish community in Israel, those who are caught up in this heartless, hate-filled attack on a people, simply because of who they were. Normally we stop, take stock and hope it never happens again, but in this instance it continues to happen—and, sadly, not just in Israel but around the world, as I'll come to a little later on. Australia is a country where people can go about their business safely. They can conduct themselves in a way where they don't have to fear for their life or their safety, where they don't have to worry about a threat to their existence and where they don't have to worry about threats to them or to their family. Frankly, it's something that we take for granted in this country. It's nothing like this for those who live in Israel, for example. What we've seen happen was based on, or at least caused by, who the victims in this conflict are—by their faith and identity, something that they're born with and cannot change. They are targets because of those characteristics and attributes. Reflection is important because, for us as an advanced society, reflecting on what has happened, good and bad, is something that enables us to understand what's at stake—what is at stake, in this case, for Israel, for the Jewish community in Israel and globally, and for our global community, which is watching very closely what happens there and how world leaders respond to this. To relent in the face of heinous acts of terror—and these are acts of terror we're talking about; the acts of October 7 were not acts of war but acts of terror undertaken by a terrorist organisation—as some are demanding that Israel should do in the name of ceasefire, I think, frankly, is something that cannot stand up to scrutiny. It is not the right course of action to relent in the face of actions driven by pure hatred and nothing good of the human spirit. Israel is a shining beacon surrounded by other nations that are the antithesis of what it is. They're a nation that respects the law, and they respect one another. Pluralism is part of their societal make-up. They're a democracy. They have equality. I've travelled there. I've seen what this country is like. I know the people who live there. To suggest, as some have in this debate, that they are anything other than what I've described them as, I think, is, frankly, atrocious. Those qualities I've just outlined are things we value and respect here in this country. Where are those who ordinarily would be preaching and crying out for these things to be upheld elsewhere in the world? They're nowhere to be seen in this debate. Instead, sadly, some in fact are whipping up that hatred and division or at least standing by and allowing it to happen, grow and continue. Who's going to counter this? Where is the strength of leadership required from our leaders? Where is it when we need it most? It is this lack of leadership that in part has led to the surge in antisemitism in our community and, indeed, globally. It is a global phenomenon, but it should not be a part of what we in this country accept as okay. It should not be allowed to happen. The equivalence that's been drawn between what happened to Israel and the response—the right for entities to simply continue on in the way that some in this government have suggested—is an attempt to walk both sides of this debate and, frankly, has given permission for some to act in the way that they have in this debate. In Tasmania, we have only a very small Jewish community, but they feel it as much as anywhere else in the country. Our capital city, Hobart, has protests every weekend for people who support freedom for Palestine, but, as a by-product of that chant and the protests that they run every week, there is an impact on the Jewish community, small though that community is, and they feel it. Only recently, there was some reporting, sadly, related to some of what I believe is antisemitic sentiment in our community, originating from the University of Tasmania. One of their senior lecturers questioned Israel's right to exist and described Hamas as a legitimate resistance movement. These are academics in a university in our country saying these things. What can a Jewish Australian, someone who might even have moved here from Israel, think when they hear someone who is purportedly educated saying these things? To suggest that it is a misconception that Israel has a right to exist and that it is a misconception that Hamas is a terrorist organisation—in fact, to suggest that it is actually a legitimate resistance movement—is unbelievable and terribly hurtful. Of course, all of this information around this senior lecturer at the University of Tasmania was removed from social media as soon as media outlets were alerted and started asking questions. One has to wonder, if they were so proud to run seminars at the university in their facilities, preaching this sort of information, then why was the information removed from social media? This same academic described Israel as a 'racist apartheid state'. They were reported to have said at the event at which these slides were displayed that, as I said before, Israel has 'no right to exist', Jews in Israel should 'go back where they came from', 'Hamas is a legitimate resistance movement' and there is no peaceful way to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This is exactly what we're talking about. This is the sentiment that is swirling around in our society. When leaders do not stand up and decry it and say, 'This is wrong, and it should not be said,' this is allowed to go unchecked. Then individuals who lend credibility to the things they're saying by virtue of their academic background give credence to these terrible, racist and uninformed views. It is interesting, though, when we consider the context of these comments made by a supposedly senior academic. Why were these comments not being made on 6 October but only in the wake of the tragedy on October 7? Why is it that this is the kind of thing that needs to be said after Israelis have been slaughtered, murdered, raped, beheaded? Why was this not a slide presentation being given a month or a year before? It's because it was being done in this context. The fact that anyone in our developed, respectful, tolerant society, especially somebody who is an academic from a higher education institution, can possibly say this tells me there are some things very wrong with our society, and this is why leadership is needed. If we don't stamp out this sort of sentiment—and this is not just freedom of speech; this is an attack on people because of a particular characteristic, and it cannot be clothed in any other way. And this is why leadership is required here. I stand with those affected by this—our small Jewish community in Tasmania, who felt the pain like many others around the world. May it never happen again. 20:37 Senator SHOEBRIDGE 169119 New South Wales For more than a year now the world has been watching the horror in these images of violence, destruction and death to the people in the region of Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. That violence degrades us and degrades our common humanity. Every day it continues, every day our government fails to do everything in its power to end it, is one more day where a mum loses a son, a husband loses a wife, a child loses a friend and communities see their neighbours, their work colleagues, their history, their community being killed. In these moments you can lose faith in the human project, when you see this continue with impunity. But I'm heartened by the millions of people around the world who are calling for an end to this violence, who gather in places like, this morning, outside parliament and in my hometown of Sydney each weekend. They gather and they come together to find some solace by sharing common values of peace and by knowing that there can be a better world where our governments condemn this violence. And they match those words with actions. When I was at the rally in Sydney on Sunday, what struck me was this common understanding amongst the thousands and thousands of Sydneysiders that everyone, whether they have live in the Middle East or in Hurstville, is as important as each other. I saw a commitment to respect that and to force this government to not deny those same rights to the people who may have fled the conflict in Palestine or Lebanon or who may be trying to survive this appalling conflict in Palestine or Lebanon. This government is treating some lives as more important than others, some societies as worthy of protection and concern and some as not. You can see that both Labor and the coalition have adopted a two-tiered political approach in this awful conflict. Nowhere is it clearer than in how this government has treated refugees and people seeking asylum who have been fleeing conflicts in the last few years. What we should be doing as a society is treating people equally and fairly. When people need to flee violence and come to our country for safety or protection—and look to us as a nation ruled by law based on principles, that commits to international conventions on refugees and on the rights of the child—they should look to our government to treat people equally. But that has not happened. When we look upon the thousands who have been fleeing this conflict, you can see how this government, with the active support of the coalition, has been grading and rating and doling out rights based not on principle, but based on some appalling political values of people's lives. The Albanese government have shown that they are unwilling to put pressure on the Israeli government to stop the genocide and the occupation of Palestine, despite the UN and the International Court of Justice making it clear that all countries should be introducing sanctions to stop the occupation and should be introducing clear resolutions to end the two-way trade of military equipment. The Albanese government have chosen to ignore international and—worse still—to gaslight this chamber and the Australian community by denying the obvious, denying that we are supplying weapons parts such as for the F-35 fighter jets that are delivering the bombs, the misery, and the killing in Gaza and, more recently, in Lebanon. They have chosen to deny this, to stand in this chamber and deny the truth and the reality and to ignore international law What's behind that, the unquestioning commitment to doing whatever the US asks of us? At the moment, the US wants us to back in their actions, the provision of some $22 billion of military aid, bombs and weapons from the United States to Israel. They want us to unquestionably back that in and do our little bit in the supply chain of providing the weapons and the support for the ongoing genocide in Gaza, for the invasion of Lebanon and for the bombing of every neighbouring country that Israel feels it's entitled to bomb. We have just lined up behind the US with this unquestioning subservience. It has diminished our country, it has diminished this government and it has treated people with utter contempt and disrespect. Even though the Albanese government has decided to fall in with the United States and ignore the vast majority of the world on this issue, surely—surely—this government could treat the people who came here and fled this conflict, like other conflicts, with equality, respect and compassion. But even that hasn't happened. After a year of torment, this government still refuses to offer a fair and genuine safe haven. Out of the more than 10,000 people in Palestine who applied for protection, not quite 3,000 had their visas granted. More than 7,000 had their visa applications rejected. For some comparison, we can look at what happened in the conflict in Ukraine, in the opening 12 months of that appalling conflict. The government did the right thing then. In fact, in just the first few months the former government issued some 5,000 visas for people to flee the conflict and have refuge in Australia. Less than five were rejected. In Palestine, 10,000 applied, and more than 7,000 were rejected. Barely 3,000, not quite 3,000, were approved. In Ukraine, 5,000 applied, and 5,000 were approved—fewer than five were rejected. Let's look at another example, one closer to this conflict. In that same time since the start of this appalling conflict, there have been 9,865 visas granted to Israeli citizens to come to Australia, and barely 250 have been rejected. Let that sink in for a moment. Nearly the exact same number of people have applied to come to Australia from Palestine as from Israel, and more than 70 per cent from Palestine were rejected, and the rejection numbers from Israel are so small as to be almost statistically unrecognisable. You could not have a clearer description than that of an openly discriminatory regime. For people who are in Gaza and are fleeing the conflict, seven in 10 of those applications are rejected. When almost every application is approved for people who are in many cases fleeing the same conflict from the other side of the border, in Israel, how do you think that looks to the families of Palestinians here? Why are so many people from Palestine being treated so differently and harshly? Part of the reason is that people fleeing the conflict from Palestine were told by the Albanese government they could only apply for a tourist visa. And then the government turns around and rejects Palestinians fleeing the conflict in Gaza—the destruction of their home, the destruction of their community, the bombing of their school, the destruction of their university, the bombing of their neighbourhood, the lack of water. The Albanese government rejects the tourist visa applications that it told them to make because it says they're not legitimately tourists, they're not coming here to visit the opera house, they're coming here to flee a conflict, a genocidal conflict, and they may not want to return to a genocidal conflict in Gaza. And they're being refused for that reason. It is Orwellian; it is obscene. Do you know what makes it worse? They're still charging Palestinians in Gaza to apply for the visa. Right now, for the visa that's rejected seven times in 10, the Australian government is charging Palestinians—with no money, no job, no water, no food and no home—$200 for the privilege of having their claim rejected, because it says they're not tourists. They've taken more than $2 million in visa application fees from Palestinians. That's the same amount the government offered to the Red Cross to try and assist Palestinians in the country. Basically, Palestinians fleeing, or seeking to flee, have paid the government $2 million that the government then repurposed for the Red Cross, for Palestinians in Australia. It is beyond appalling. For those 3,000 visas that were granted, the government has done little if anything to assist people or to work with Israel, to work with Egypt, to get people out of Gaza. Barely 1,300 have managed to even arrive, of the 3,000 visas that were granted. The majority of those who were granted a visa are still trapped in Gaza, being told tonight, again, to move to another place because where they are will be the subject of yet another round of bombings—bombs made in the United States, our ally; bombs delivered by an F-35, whose bomb bay doors only open because of parts made in Australia. They're trapped in Gaza. When people who fled the Ukraine conflict arrived here, they were provided immediately with a visa that gave them access to work rights, to study rights, to support, to English language support and to the tools that are needed to help heal and rebuild—and of course they should have been. They were fleeing an appalling war, an invasion of their land. The people from Palestine fleeing the occupation and invasion of their land have none of that—nothing. They're stuck on visas that prevent them from working, studying or accessing basic support—no English support, no income support. When those visas run out they're moved onto a punitive bridging visa where they're kept in endless limbo. No-one is able to apply for a permanent visa, and no-one has certainty about their future. I've been lucky enough to meet with some of those who have fled Palestine, and they are incredibly grateful for the chance to be somewhere safe and incredibly grateful that their kids are not being exposed to bombs and killing. What they have said about the conflict and the horrors they've faced is chilling. After escaping airstrikes and paying tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes, just to get across the border and access the right to leave from Egypt, they arrive here and they're given nothing. I met with one couple who had three young kids. One of the kids was in preschool, but, because of uncertainty about her visa, the preschool said she couldn't attend. Think about that. We're in a country that's stopping children from going to school because our visa system is pointlessly harsh, punitive and uncaring. Who makes this up? We're now hearing that Minister Burke is providing people with humanitarian visas, but I'll quote him here: I've been dealing with some of the Palestinians on visitor visas who are here in Australia—some on visitor visas, some on bridging visas—and for some of the people who I've been meeting with, I've been transferring them on to humanitarian visas. So is that what it's come to? You need an audience with Lord Burke, the minister, before you'll be granted the most basic humanitarian visa? Is there some sort of power play here where it's only if a Palestinian family are fortunate enough to get an audience with the minister that he may deign to give them a humanitarian visa? What of the 1,000-plus others who can't have that access and won't get the audience with Lord Burke? What of them? Just nothing? We cannot, as a country, unilaterally end the horrible violence. We should, of course, be doing more and not be complicit in the violence, but we can't, as an individual country, end the horrors and the violence. But, for the 1,300 Palestinians who have come here, it is entirely within our power to grant them permanent protections. We can give them the right to work. We can give them a permanent visa. We can stop this pointless cruelty. That is within our power, and, 12 months on, this miserable government refuses to do even that. What is wrong with the Labor Party, and what is wrong with the coalition, who've doubled down on their cruelty to Palestinians who've finally found some refuge here? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT 296331 The question before the chamber is that the amendments moved by Senator Bermingham be agreed to. Is a division required? It being past 6.30 pm, the division will be deferred until tomorrow. 20:52 Senator 231199 Tasmania URQUHART (—) (): I advise that the government is considering whether it can support some of the opposition's amendments and will ask for the question to be divided accordingly when the deferred division on the amendment is dealt with tomorrow. 20:53 Senator SCARR 282997 Queensland I note the point made by the Government Whip. That is something which will need to be reflected upon when we hear the government's position with respect to the proposed amendments, which ones are agreed to and which ones potentially aren't agreed to. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT 296331 I feel this matter will be dealt with tomorrow. Is everyone in agreement? Good. Senate adjourned at 20:53