Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy President. I will not stand here and be lectured to by a political party that refused to acknowledge, let alone condemn, the murder and slaughter of innocent children and the starvation of children. If the opposition cannot bring themselves to acknowledge this suffering at this moment, they have absolutely misread not just public opinion but their role as legislators and as leaders in this community. I support, as do the rest of my party, the tabling of these names.

I'd just add one more thing: the reason why this is an important document to be tabled is that the independent organisation that has brought this list of names to this place is the apolitical, internationally recognised organisation Amnesty International, which is not associated with any political party. They gathered on the lawns of Parliament House last week, and they invited every single one of us down there to participate in the acknowledgement and reading out of the names of these innocent children. All of the Greens senators were there, and I know a number of other members of both houses were there. If we can't even bring ourselves to acknowledge that powerful statement and that call to action for leadership and compassion in this place, then we may as well pack up and go home.