Lee Rhiannon NSW, Australian Greens
4:19 pm
I ask that general business notice of motion No. 891 standing in my name for today relating to Ms Khalida Jarrar be taken as a formal motion.
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
Yes.
Lee Rhiannon NSW, Australian Greens
I seek leave to make a short statement.
Lee Rhiannon NSW, Australian Greens
Khalida Jarrar is an elected Palestinian parliamentarian who has been imprisoned by the Israeli government. She has been in jail for a year. The intelligence under which Ms Jarrar is being held has not been disclosed by the Australian military. After her arrest in 2017, she said the occupying state does not respect the rights of Palestinian parliamentarians, their immunity, their right to be politically active and their right to freedom of expression. The Israeli government practice of arbitrary detention is a violation of international laws, particularly articles 78 and 72 of the 4th Geneva convention. These articles state that an accused individual has the right to defend themselves. In Ms Jarrar's case, there have been no charges. She is a political prisoner of Israel. Ms Jarrar could spend the rest of her life in jail and she is not the only Palestinian MP in jail. A country is not a democracy if it has political prisoners.
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
4:21 pm
I seek leave to make a short statement.
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
In line with the longstanding view of successive governments, given that formal motions cannot be debated or amended, they should not deal with complex or contested foreign policy matters. The Senate should not consider and vote on foreign policy motions of this kind without the ability to have a full debate given they involve serious and substantial issues.
David Leyonhjelm NSW, Liberal Democratic Party
I seek leave to make a short statement.
David Leyonhjelm NSW, Liberal Democratic Party
I just wish to point out that all members of the Palestinian Legislative Council are now into their 11th year of a four-year term. Democracy is a remote concept in Palestine.