Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) expresses its profound disapproval of Senator Faruqi's disrespectful protest and actions contrary to standing orders during the Governor-General's speech to open the 48th Parliament on 22 July 2025, given the senator has many other avenues to express her views;

(b) notes that the actions by Senator Faruqi to use a prop, knowing this to be a breach of the standing orders, drew the Governor-General and the Chief Justice into political debate, which is highly inappropriate and undermines our democratic system;

(c) supports the actions of the President in addressing the matter as soon as the Senate sat following the speech, noting that when the Governor-General is in the chair the President cannot exercise the usual powers or authority to manage the chamber as the President would on a typical sitting day;

(d) calls on:

(i) all senators to respect our democratic institutions, including our Parliament, to engage in debates and commentary respectfully, and to refrain from inflammatory and divisive actions that reflect poorly on the Senate, both inside and outside the chamber, at all times,

(ii) all party leaders to act within their parties to uphold the standards of the Senate, and

(iii) Senator Faruqi to apologise for the unparliamentary conduct, disrespect of proceedings and disregard for the position of the Governor-General as our Head of State and conventions of our parliamentary democracy; and

(e) in light of this conduct, does not regard it as appropriate for Senator Faruqi to represent the Senate as a member of any delegation during the life of this Parliament.

Yesterday, we saw in this chamber an elected senator deliberately engaging in behaviour that she knows to be contrary to the standing orders. During that debate, she made a number of comments also as people left the chamber about the issue that she was referencing. I want to go to the issue that Senator Faruqi asserts this is about before I come back to the issue of procedure.

When it comes to the conflict in Gaza, Australians are understandably distressed by the violence, including the deaths of so many innocent civilians, but they also know that Australia is not responsible for what is happening in the Middle East. But the Greens political party doesn't want to listen to Australians; they want to lecture Australians, and they ignore facts that get in their way. And, again, we see they have not learned from the election. For example, they continue to call for sanctions against Israel, ignoring the fact that we have already imposed sanctions on two Israeli ministers for their role in human rights abuses against Palestinians, in partnership with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the UK.

In this place yesterday, Senator Faruqi went a step further. She disrespected the rules of the parliament by holding up a sign for the duration of the Governor-General's address on the opening of this term of parliament. Do you know what that address is about? It's all about our country; it's all about Australia. It's about decisions taken by all of Australia during the campaign, but Senator Faruqi wanted it to be about her—presumably, in her campaign for the leadership of the Greens. One thing I think the election showed very clearly was Australians making it clear that they reject attempts by some in this place to reproduce the conflict here. Australians want a country that is democratic, a country that operates by rules and laws, and Australians expect us as their elected representatives to uphold our democratic institutions, to demonstrate a degree of respect for each other, as they do, and a respect for our institutions. You know what they don't expect? They don't expect any of us to place ourselves above the institution that operates in their name, which is the Parliament of Australia.

What we saw this week is what we have seen before from Senator Faruqi. Senator Faruqi demands respect, but she does not offer it. She denigrates anyone who doesn't agree with her on everything regularly, including personally. I don't think this is the leadership Australians expect. I don't believe this is what Australian democracy is about. Senator Faruqi and others take absolutist positions with the same kinds of grievance politics that have been so destructive in other countries. It's 'my way or the highway'—the same lack of basic respect for other Australians. But, of course, what Senator Faruqi actually wants most is attention. That's why you're here. What she wants most of all is attention. Presumably—