Leah Blyth (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Stronger Families and Stronger Communities) Share this | Hansard source

More than two years ago, the coalition urged the Albanese government to take decisive action and list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, as a terrorist organisation. We did so because the evidence was overwhelming. The IRGC is not a conventional military force; it is a global exporter of terror, a sponsor of antisemitic violence and a direct threat to democratic societies, including our own.

The case for listing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation rests on clear and compelling grounds. The IRGC is a key driver of global terrorism, directly funding, training and arming groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Its activities extend well beyond Iran's borders, threatening Jewish communities and undermining international security. Listing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation would align Australia with other allies, close legal and financial loopholes, deter extremism at home and signal that state sponsored terror will not be tolerated.

Despite the calls to act and to act decisively, the Albanese government did nothing. They dismissed the danger. They turned their backs on bipartisan calls for action. Now, after confirmed antisemitic attacks on Australian soil—one targeting a synagogue in Melbourne and another a Jewish owned restaurant in Sydney—the government has finally acted. It has expelled the Iranian ambassador, and it has also signalled that it will move to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. These steps are welcome, but let me be clear: they should never have taken this long. This is not leadership; it is weakness. Iran has been exporting violence, sponsoring terror and fuelling hatred for years. Strong action was required long ago not only to confront Tehran abroad but also to send a clear signal here at home, because, while this government delayed, the consequences were felt on our own streets.

We have witnessed a disturbing rise in antisemitism across Australia. I have spoken to Jewish families who feel unsafe in their schools, in their workplaces and in their places of worship. Terrorist incidents and the threat to the Australian community is rising, and this is no coincidence. When government is weak on principle, extremists are emboldened. The failure to stand firmly and early with Israel has compounded this problem. Of course, legitimate criticism of Israel is reasonable, but that is a world apart from undermining Israel's very right to defend itself, yet that is what this government has done—equivocating, delaying and in effect rewarding terrorism.

Since October 2023, when 1,200 innocent Israelis were slaughtered by racist totalitarians, Israel has been fighting for its survival.

It is a democracy under constant threat from Iran's proxies. Its right to defend itself is beyond question, yet Labor's refusal to speak with clarity and conviction has implied sympathy for those who would seek to destroy it. That silence has emboldened extremism and intimidated Australians who would've felt confident to stand in solidarity with our ally.

When Israel struck Iran's nuclear facilities to prevent a catastrophic escalation, Mr Albanese hesitated. He waited for the United States before he dared to act. That is not foreign policy; that is following the leader. When Hamas praised Mr Albanese for recognising Palestinian statehood, he failed to condemn them. Has he forgotten that Hamas is a terrorist organisation?

This government is not just soft on terror; it is soft on organised crime, it is soft on foreign interference and it is soft on the enemies of democracy. And, in being soft, it has betrayed the values that should define us as a free and just society. Yes, expelling the Iranian ambassador and signalling a move to finally list the IRGC are the right decisions, but Australians must not forget the cost of this government's hesitation. When leadership falters, hatred fills the vacuum, and the price has been paid by Jewish Australians who have been terrorised in their own homeland.

We must take actions together against Tehran's networks. We must confront antisemitism wherever it appears, because if we do not stand strong with our democratic allies, we cannot expect them to stand strong with us should we face danger ourselves. The coalition will never hesitate to call-out terror no matter where it comes from, no matter who it sponsors and no matter how uncomfortable it makes this government feel.