Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Events obviously are moving very close, as I think I indicated in the opening paragraphs of my first answer. A range of international efforts to resolve the crisis are underway. We hope that when we wake up tomorrow morning it is to news that a ceasefire has been arrived at overnight. The government holds the view that complex foreign policy ought not to be expressed through competing parliamentary motions. The best way for the Senate to express concern for the lives of Israelis and Palestinians is through a motion supported by all senators. The best way for the Senate to express support for international efforts to resolve the crisis is through a motion supported by all senators. For these reasons, the government will introduce to the Senate a motion that acknowledges the full complexity of this crisis and support all efforts to de-escalate the conflict. It will reflect the principles I enunciated in the first part of my answer to Senator Stephens this afternoon.