Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday the Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Home Affairs announced that ASIO had enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion, that the Iranian government has directed at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil. Iran has sought to undermine the cohesion of our community with acts of aggression that sought to terrify Australians and put Australian lives in danger. This has crossed a line.

That is why the government has declared Iran's ambassador to Australia, as well as three other Iranian officials, persona non grata. The government has taken the step to withdraw Australia's ambassador to Iran. We have suspended the operations of our embassy in Iran for the safety of our officials and Australia's broader security. This is the first time Australia has expelled an ambassador in the postwar period. The government will also legislate to list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, as a terrorist organisation. When the Foreign Minister announced this yesterday, she said:

We have sought to lower the temperature in Australia, and to not reproduce the conflict in the Middle East in Australia. I again urge others to consider whether their actions help those who want to divide our nation. We all want the killing in the Middle East to stop, and we want to retain our character as a nation that welcomes people of different race, religion, views, united by respect for each other's humanity and our collective desire to live in peace. We will always safeguard our communities and protect Australians from all forms of hate.

The Albanese Labor government knew that yesterday was not a day for division, but already today we have this debate. We have the Greens, in their statements, already using these horrific attacks for their own political purposes. The Greens political party are in no position to give lectures about Iran. We have heard from former Greens members about how Greens leaders ignore the oppressive role of Iran. We have heard that the Greens leader ignored the experiences of Iranian Australian members of the Greens and found their pain to be politically inconvenient. The Greens don't understand that Iran's support for Hamas has undermined and oppressed Palestinians and then, at a time of unimaginable suffering in Gaza, continued the same divisive politics here at home.

The Albanese government has worked deliberately and strategically with partners to apply pressure on the Iranian regime. The Albanese government has sanctioned 200 Iranian linked persons and entities, including almost 100 IRGC linked individuals and entities. We were at the forefront of efforts to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women and co-sponsored the successful Human Rights Council resolution establishing an independent investigation into human rights violations in Iran. We have bolstered Australia's autonomous sanctions framework to enable us to target more Iranian individuals and entities involved in oppression inside Iran, including against women and girls. We have consistently and forcefully raised our concerns directly with Iran.

The Iranian regime's attacks were designed to cause disunity and division in our country. It is a terrible shame that the Greens political party cannot show unity today. In unprecedented times, like we find ourselves in now, it's more important than ever that we leave party politics aside and take the side of team Australia. We want people to feel safe and to be safe. That's why we will always safeguard our communities and protect Australians from all forms of hate. I join with Senator Wong, the Foreign minister, in urging others in this place to consider whether their actions help those who want to divide our nation. I encourage everybody in this place to join team Australia and work towards unity in our nation.