Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Housing) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today in solidarity with the Druze community and other minority groups in Syria who are facing violence and persecution in Suwayda and surrounding regions. Recently I met with three greatly loved constituents Imam, Safa and Hadi of the Saab family, who are leaders and members of our local Druze community in my electorate of Hotham. They sat in my office and shared with me the most intensely distressing accounts of what's happening in Suwayda. I want to acknowledge the members of the Druze community who are in the gallery this morning.

These parts of our community are proud Australians, and today they are in enormous amounts of pain because of what's being inflicted on their community in their home country. One story about a young woman who was afraid to leave her house because of her religion has stayed with me. There are threats of every heinous nature being made against this community. It's really hard for us in Australia to fathom how this must feel, in a country like ours where we live with the strong belief that other people can have freedoms and that those freedoms will be protected.

To the Druze community and to other affected minority communities in Australia: your grief is heard, your fear is understood and your resilience is so admired by your community. We thank you for your advocacy. It's because of your courage, letters, visits and voices that so many of us in government are aware of the urgency of what is happening to your friends and relatives.

I've raised these concerns directly with my cabinet colleagues, and I know many of them share the deep concern that I have for this matter. I have reiterated the Australian government's call for Syria's interim authorities to protect civilians, respect minority rights and pursue an inclusive political transition. Australia continues to support vulnerable communities through our humanitarian program and international aid. Since July 2024, nearly one in five of our offshore humanitarian visa grants have gone to Syrian citizens, and we've committed half a billion dollars in humanitarian assistance since 2011, including $30 million this year alone.

I know these policy updates, numbers and statistics can feel really distant and disconnected when your loved ones are in danger, so I want to be clear: I stand with you, and our government stands with you. We'll continue to advocate for the protection of minorities in Syria and for families here in Australia who are desperate for news, for safety and for justice. This is not just an issue in my local community; it's a global call for peace and dignity. I stand in solidarity with the Druze community and other minority groups in Syria and with all people whose lives are threatened because of their beliefs.

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