David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The 16th of September marks the one-year anniversary of Jina Mahsa Amini's tragic death at the hands of the brutal Islamic regime in Iran. In this parliament we commemorate the death of Jina with a heavy heart. The Iranian government's violent oppression of its people continues to this day. The Greens—and, I know, many other members of this chamber—continue to call on the Australian government to take greater action under the Magnitsky act to put targeted sanctions on senior leaders in the Iranian government and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. It should not be that hard to speak on behalf of the Australian people in that regard.

This day also marks the beginning of the Woman Life Freedom movement, which has captivated and inspired so many people around the world who stand in solidarity with Iranians bravely fighting for their human rights and a brighter future in the face of one of the most oppressive governments on the planet. On Saturday, the Greens will be standing in solidarity with the Iranian people and the Iranian diaspora in Australia and around the world as we remember Jina Mahsa Amini. We will remember her tragic death and share our continued support for the Woman Life Freedom movement.

The Greens have for a long time raised the concerns of the Bangladeshi diaspora about the ongoing human rights violations in Bangladesh and their potential impact on the upcoming national election. Crimes such as extrajudicial killings, abduction and torture have been documented by Amnesty International and the US Department of State. It's imperative that the Australian government also raise these concerns and take action, under the Magnitsky act, to bring targeted sanctions against the perpetrators of these crimes, not least the leadership of the Rapid Action Battalion. Action must be taken to ensure the prevention of what was witnessed in the 2014 and 2018 elections, which were fraught with controversies and irregularities, including intimidation and violence against opposition political parties, civil society and the media.

The Greens urge the Albanese government, as a government committed to promoting the rule of law and human rights through diplomacy, to develop a constructive relationship with their counterparts in Bangladesh before the election occurs, and to make clear Australia's demands that the election be free, fair and inclusive.

President, I'm going to say something that I can't say outside this place. Ray Hadley was right about Toplace and Jean Nassif, and if our defamation laws weren't so broken we could have saved many people from buying shoddily constructed and downright dangerous properties from this developer—all across Sydney.

What we know is that for years Nassif and Toplace have readily issued defamation threats to many who were willing to criticise what they knew to be the shortcomings in what was being built by Toplace. The only place I felt safe in raising those concerns in my time as a state MP was on the floor of the chamber in the parliament. Many knew there were issues with what Toplace was building and with the solvency of the company, and there were serious irregularities in the family's involvement in many aspects of the business. If they could have said these things publicly, without threat of defamation, things might be very different today for so many families struggling with a huge mortgage and a shoddy Toplace property.

Ray Hadley and 2GB have been in court since July 2020 about comments Ray Hadley made—comments that were true—in broadcasts in 2019 and 2020, which Mr Nassif said implied he was a dishonest and shoddy developer. Well, it turns out he was.

It's worth noting that Toplace were ordered by the NSW Building Commissioner to remedy a range of defects in their Skyview apartment complex in Castle Hill only after concerns were raised in the New South Wales parliament by me and others. Fair Trading required Toplace to fix non-compliant cladding on their Atmosphere apartments, and council inspectors found safety and fire issues. Multiple other Toplace developments have owners suing for alleged defects. It's also worth noting that in June a warrant was issued for Nassif's arrest over an alleged large-scale fraud, for which his daughter Ashlyn has been charged, and Toplace has now been placed into administration.

In another instance, there were three councillors who have now been confirmed by ICAC to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct. Again, I only felt safe raising that on the floor of the New South Wales parliament, because defamation laws were repeatedly used to obstruct and delay the final exposure of their dealings.

The New South Wales ICAC has recommended criminal charges be considered against those councillors, but in 2019 they sued the SMH for defamation. (Time expired)