Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to general business notice of motion No. 451, as circulated.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice standing in the name of Senator Waters, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to allow a motion relating to general business notice of motion No. 451, relating to Gaza, to be moved and determined immediately.

Here today, we know that 26,000 people have been killed in Gaza. Those who remain are at severe risk of disease and starvation, and this risk only grows daily. In the face of this horror, our community has not fallen into indifference or been paralysed by despair. Rather, they have fallen into community. Together, our community have taken action. They've been arm in arm at the picket line, rallied in their thousands and shared content online, bringing Palestinian voices into our living rooms and onto our phones. The horrific reality is that from these living rooms and through these phones we have borne witness to genocide. Our community have known this for months, and in January the International Court of Justice made their interim ruling.

The Albanese government's response to this has been completely inadequate. Instead of calling for an end to the genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanitarian laws and destruction, they have cut aid and funding supplied to keep Palestinians alive, while continuing to support and resource the Israel Defense Forces, giving them the cover and the capacity that they need to continue to carry out atrocity. The Greens and the community are imploring the Australian government to take new measures to send a strong message that these crimes are unacceptable to the Australian community and illegal under international law.

The government could formally intervene and voice its support for South Africa's genocide case against the State of Israel at the International Court of Justice. The Australian government could apply Magnitsky style sanctions to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and his entire war cabinet. The Australian government could reinstate immediately the financial resources that it has denied to the very organisations fighting right now to keep Palestinian children alive, to keep starvation at bay, to provide people with the water and medication which has been illegally denied them by the actions of the State of Israel. And the Australian government could unequivocally state its support for a permanent and immediate ceasefire. There is so much that this government could be doing, and yet it is simply choosing not to. This government is out of step with the Australian community and, far too often in the course of the last 120 days, has been in step with the United States and others who have sought to cover for the State of Israel and its crimes.

As a community we want a ceasefire, we want peace and an end to the illegal occupation, and we expect the government to work to achieve this. Instead, we are seeing the government choose the side of the occupier, choose the side of the invader and continue to back up perpetrators of these crimes in international spaces. It is choosing to take funds for life-saving aid away from those providing that aid on the ground.

Now, in the face of this reality, our community will continue to protest. Our community will protest, we will organise, we will take to the picket lines again and again in the name of a just and lasting peace, and we will call out Labor's woeful response. We in the Greens will keep talking about Palestine, no matter how uncomfortable it makes those in this place feel.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Listening to Senator Steele-John, you might not recall that, on 7 October, brutal Hamas terrorists—

I sat quietly, Senator, while you made your statement. I'd like to get the same respect, if you don't mind.

I'd ask for the same respect. What I'm saying is that it would seem, from listening to your address a moment ago, Senator Steele-John, that the events of 7 October, when Hamas terrorists murdered, raped and kidnapped innocent Israeli civilians, did not occur, but they did occur, Senator Steele-John. Australia is a respected voice on the conflict in the Middle East, even if we're not central players in the Middle East. The government is using Australia's voice to strongly advocate the release of hostages, the protection of civilians, humanitarian access and a pathway out of this conflict. It's of deep regret that the government does not have partners in this effort, especially the Greens, who are only looking at how they use this crisis to whip up votes. That's the reality.

Honourable senators interjecting—

That is the reality. You're only using this to whip up votes as a—

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, resume your seat, please. Senator Steele-John was heard in silence. That is a respectful approach. I ask that Senator Farrell be able to make his remarks in silence.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Acting Deputy President: Senator Farrell is impugning the motives of—

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order, Senator McKim.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is actually a point of order, based on the President's ruling yesterday in regard to Senator Hume. I ask that you either rule now or come back to the chamber later with a ruling on whether impugning the motives, which is clearly what happened, of a group of people—that is, the Greens senators—in this place in the most despicable way is within or contrary to standing orders.

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order: the point of order yesterday that was raised was in relation to Senator Hume's reference to the government and use of the term 'lie', which has a particular connotation in the context of our standing orders. With due respect to Senator McKim, I don't think there's substance to his point of order.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My advice is that it's appropriate to rule against that point of order, but, as I am acting in this chair, if I you would like me to have a conversation with the President about that at a later stage, I will. But my advice is that Senator Farrell is in order.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Greens were sincere in their concern about the crisis in the Middle East, they would be engaging on a pathway to peace and keeping our community unified. But, instead, what we see of the Greens is that they're seeking to divide our community simply to pick up votes. I would remind the Greens that right now—

Honourable senators interjecting—

I know you don't want to listen to this, but right now there are more than 130 hostages currently being held by Hamas. An estimated 1.7 million people in Gaza are internally displaced, and there are increasingly fewer places for the Palestinians to go. I remind the Senate that we are seeing attacks on Iran-aligned militias right across the region. The Houthis are conducting attacks in the Red Sea right now that are threatening international maritime trade and regional security. We're supporting the United States and the United Kingdom efforts to disrupt, degrade and deter them. I know you don't want any of those things, but that's—

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If he could withdraw that remark. I also have a point of order: the continual interjections to Senator Farrell's contribution. You've repeatedly called a number of senators to order. I think it's getting beyond a joke.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, you've been requested to withdraw your remark. I did not hear it, but I'm inviting you to withdraw, please.

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is that my comment that he's a lapdog of the United States?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, it is not appropriate to repeat the remark.

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the assistance of debate, I will withdraw the remark.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will return the call to Senator Farrell, but I do ask that senators treat this debate respectfully. I appreciate that it is important to many people in this chamber. Senator Steele-John was heard in silence. I ask you to allow Senator Farrell to continue his remarks.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're working with our partners to manage risk to avoid regional escalation of the issue. I said before that we don't have partners in this effort. The Greens continue to be interested not in a unified community and a pathway to peace. Israelis deserve better, Palestinians deserve better, and the Australian people deserve better.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We live in a world, tragically, where there is immense suffering. Over the last year tens of thousands of people have lost their lives in Myanmar, Ukraine, Sudan and, of course, many other conflicts around the world, including in the Middle East. But all we get from the Greens are one-sided motions focusing on one country and one conflict. That's the approach that comes from those opposite.

This, again, is a one-sided motion which ignores the cause of the current war in Gaza. There was no war in Gaza on 6 October, and there were no Israeli troops in Gaza on 6 October. The Greens motion fails to even mention Hamas, who on 7 October undertook the largest killing of Jews on a single day since the Holocaust. They seem to want to wipe that from history. The motion fails to mention those atrocities. It fails to mention that Hamas continues to hold hostages taken on 7 October, who have been held hostage now for 123 days. It ignores the fact that Hamas—its leaders, its operatives, its supporters in Hezbollah, its supporters among Houthi rebels and support coming from Iran and elsewhere—continue to call for a repeat of the 7 October attack, for Israel to be destroyed and for their aspiration of what would amount to genocide of the Jewish people. The reality is no nation could or would live with the ongoing threat that is posed to its citizens by Hamas. No nation would live with that threat on its doorstep having lived through the horrors and terror that occurred on 7 October.

Is the tragic loss of life in Gaza something we should all grieve and wish to see come to an end? Of course, it is. Is the tragic loss of life that occurred in Israel something we should all grieve and wish never to be repeated? Of course. That's just as we should wish the tragic loss of life in Myanmar, Ukraine, Sudan and everywhere else in conflict around the world to come to an end. But posturing motions from the Australian Greens in the Australian Senate that are one-sided, singularly focused and calling for a ceasefire without consideration of the consequences will do nothing to actually prevent a repeat of tragic deaths in these circumstances around the world.

The best ceasefire that could occur is not what the Greens call for, which is one that would enable Hamas to remain in leadership in Gaza and would enable Hamas to re-arm, regroup and fulfil their publicly stated aspiration to repeat the horrors of 7 October. An appropriate ceasefire would be one which called for Hamas to disarm and be disabled, for its leadership to surrender, for hostages to be released and for the vast tunnel network that is estimated to be bigger than the New York subway system, built under hospitals, schools and public infrastructure right across Gaza, to be destroyed, giving the Palestinian people living in Gaza the chance to not be used as human shields by Hamas terrorists but actually have an opportunity for peace to be negotiated in their future lives.

The Greens motion is one-sided when it comes to the International Court of Justice interim ruling as well, which did recognise Israel's right to self-defence. It did acknowledge that Hamas initiated the war on 7 October and further found that Hamas has neither surrendered nor given any undertaking not to repeat the terrorist attack, and there is no obligation under international law for Israel to agree to a ceasefire given Hamas's actions. The coalition strongly opposes Australia supporting South Africa's case in the ICJ, which is as an unbalanced as the Greens are in their posture and position. This parliament should be reiterating the comments and commitments it made in its bipartisan motion in October last year unequivocally condemning the Hamas attacks on 7 October, standing clearly with Israel and their inherent right to defend themselves, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, supporting efforts to ensure humanitarian access into Gaza, calling for the protection of civilian lives and the observance of international law and condemning all forms of hate speech, in particular the rising antisemitism we have seen. That's not what we get from the Greens, but it is certainly what we stand for.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the question be now put.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the question be now put on the motion to suspend standing orders.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion to suspend standing orders be agreed to.