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

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement on the boycotts, divestments and sanctions campaign.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is being sought in respect of general business notice of motion 913, on which there has been a previous vote in the Senate. Leave is granted for one minute to Senator Bob Carr to make a statement on that.

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

The Australian government strongly opposes the boycott, divestments and sanctions campaign. The government does not support boycott movements that seek to ban exchanges with Israel and policies that impede legitimate trade between states and that unfairly target lawful Australian businesses. Indeed, the Australian Labor Party fought a campaign in the state division of Marrickville on this very principle and won against the Greens party. The government opposed the motion for two reasons: firstly, the government has a long- established practice of not attempting to navigate foreign policy matters through Senate motions and, secondly, the motion moved by Senator Sinodinos politicises an important issue through criticism of individuals. We fiercely, unequivocally, strongly oppose BDS and, unlike the armchair purists— (Time expired)

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—It was obvious during the division on this motion, notwithstanding Senator Bob Carr's statement, that he and Senator Sterle were remonstrating with their Labor Party colleagues that they were voting on the wrong side of that motion and they were beseeching their Labor Party colleagues to do what they should have done in the first place and support the coalition in supporting the state of Israel and opposing anti-Semitism.