Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate condemns the act of defacing war memorials by pro-Palestinian protestors, which is deeply insulting for current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and undermines the significance of these memorials as symbols of national pride and remembrance.

Since the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, war memorials across the nation have been graffitied and defaced by pro-Palestinian protesters. On Sunday, they hit the war memorials in Canberra for the third time, defacing memorials on Anzac Parade. Just two weeks ago, the walls of the Australian War Memorial were defaced with slogans, and the Vietnam veterans war memorial was graffitied in March.

Do these people understand that these memorials are there to honour the service of veterans and to honour the veterans who we have lost who were fighting for their country? They were fighting for our freedoms—the freedoms they won for all of us, the freedoms that meant that Australians can protest peacefully. To say it's a slap in the face to all veterans isn't strong enough; it is an absolute kick in the guts. It's a rejection of their sacrifices, and it hurts every Australian veteran and their families.

Do these people really think that this helps their cause? Do they really think that these disgusting acts of vandalism will bring about a ceasefire? Do they really think it will ease the suffering of the Palestinian people? I don't think these people have any idea what it's like to have to go to war and have to fight, to see your mates killed in front of you or to come home with injuries that mean you will never be the same again. As a veteran said to me this morning, 'How dare these people, who probably haven't served, are defacing these memorials because of their misguided ideologies?' Another said, 'It feels like they are spitting on the graves of our fallen veterans.'

War memorials and cenotaphs for our fallen soldiers are in most towns and cities across this nation. They are visual reminders of the horrors of war and the appalling, unimaginable conditions any soldier faces on the front line. Every Anzac Day, hundreds of thousands of Australians go to these memorials to honour those who have served and to make sure that we never forget the sacrifices that they have made for this great nation. Without the selflessness and commitment of all who have served, the freedoms that we all enjoy, the democracy and the rule of law might never have been possible.

By the way, if they think this is helping their cause, if they think this will bring more Australians out to protests about the war in Gaza, they are terribly, sadly mistaken. I think most Australians are appalled at what we have seen in Canberra this morning. Most Australians honour the sacrifices of our armed forces. Many Australians have veterans in their families—fathers, mothers, sons and daughters—who have put their lives on the line for this country and for our freedoms. I am sure they join me in condemning anyone who defaces or graffities our war memorials. There are laws that protect our war memorials, and I encourage the police to find these people and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.

War memorials have been defaced before, which is awful, and I will never understand it. Since the Gaza war we have seen this happen across the country, and, once again, I think the Greens should be reflecting on their behaviour in this chamber and on how their divisive behaviour in this chamber is fuelling division in the pure fabric of Australian society. Please think about what you are doing and what it is doing to the nation, because you are ripping it apart because of your actions in this chamber. When the Greens keep calling for protests, rallies and blockading of electoral offices and when they shamelessly allow themselves to be photographed next to antisemitic signs, they are whipping up the worst elements of hatred in our society and encouraging them to throw red paint on political offices, to write antisemitic slogans on MPs' offices and to do the things like defacing war memorials of fallen soldiers. The Greens are whipping up an atmosphere of hate and division—and all for votes! And they know it. What's even worse, they don't seem to care. Their actions don't help anyone and they certainly won't hasten the end of the war in Gaza and the end of suffering of the Palestinian people.

I would ask that every senator supports this motion today that the Senate condemns the act of defacing war memorials by pro-Palestinian protesters, which is deeply insulting to current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and undermines the significance of these memorials as symbols of national pride and of remembrance.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of the coalition to speak to the motion that is currently before the Senate. Today the Senate, I would hope, will send a strong message to all Australians in support of the motion. We need to say, 'Enough is enough.'

It is incredibly disturbing to hear that some individuals have defaced several war memorials in Canberra—including a memorial to soldiers who fought in the Korean and Vietnam wars—with slogans trying to promote a particular cause in the Middle East. The defacing of Australia's national monuments to those who fought for our great country and our fallen soldiers in an attempt to promote a particular cause is, quite frankly, disgusting.

I would hope that as we stand here today celebrating, as we do every single day, the freedoms that each and every one of us has as an Australian in 2024 because people before us gave their lives, we are all able to support this motion. These are, without a doubt, abhorrent acts. Whatever cause people are trying to promote, the desecration of our war memorials in an attempt to make a political point is disgraceful and it is abhorrent. In fact, there are few words to express the extreme anger we all feel on behalf of Australians for those who would try and trash the legacy of our great soldiers.

On behalf of the coalition, I would like to say to those serving in the Australian Defence Force, to our veterans and to the legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice: we honour everything you have done for our nation. Australia is the wonderful nation it is today because of you and the sacrifice that you made.

Australians value the right for people to protest. We value the right of free speech. We value the right for Australians to believe in whatever cause they wish. In fact, that is what our soldiers fought for over so many years. But vandalism and desecrating monuments to our fallen soldiers is not free speech. It is nothing more and nothing less than, in the most disgusting of terms, attacking those who served and attacking those who gave their lives for our great nation. In fact, I say to those who thought it was smart to undertake these actions: Australians are better than that, and they are better than you. Australians are more likely to oppose your cause if you try to promote it by trying to smear the legacy of our fallen soldiers. Australians value the legacy of our service men and women, current and former, and we especially value those who gave their lives and made the ultimate sacrifice.

The vandalism of these monuments is a slap in the face to the men and women in the Australian Defence Force, our honoured veterans and their families. And we in the coalition will not stand by silently. The wilful defacing of national monuments to our fallen soldiers needs to be emphatically condemned by all senators in this chamber, and we need to condemn it urgently. For those fallen soldiers who fought for our nation, fought for our freedom, fought for our peace, let's stand together today and show them that we recognise the sacrifices and, more than recognising them, we value and appreciate the sacrifices they made. Let us stand together today and honour them—not just on Anzac Day but each and every day that we wake up in the morning and we are free, as Australians, because of those who gave their lives and fought for our great country. Their sacrifice is a part of what makes Australia so great.

Our public memorials to our fallen soldiers are a vital link between the past sacrifices of numerous Australian soldiers and future generations. It is heartening to see each and every year growing crowds on Anzac Day honouring the sacrifices of many soldiers in numerous conflicts over the centuries. Australians from all walks of life are increasingly coming together to appreciate just what those soldiers have done for our great nation. All Australians should be proud of our fallen soldiers, our veterans from all conflicts and the men and women currently serving in the Australian Defence Force.

To the protesters who desecrated these memorials: you do not honour our fallen soldiers and you do not honour our great country. In fact, those who vandalised these memorials are expressing nothing but a deep contempt and a hatred for our country, which should be condemned in the fullest. No matter what your view on the conflict in the Middle East—and I acknowledge that there are a wide range of views in the community—defacing our war memorials to promote a particular ideology or a particular cause is showing nothing but contempt for our fallen soldiers. It shows nothing but contempt for members of the Australian Defence Force and nothing but contempt for the great country of Australia. This behaviour needs to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Our Senate chamber needs to send a strong and united message to the vandals that we will not bow down to your abhorrent tactics. To the vandals who committed this disgusting act, let me make it very clear, on behalf of the coalition: no-one is going to adopt your cause because you defaced a memorial to our fallen soldiers. It completely undermines the message you are trying to portray and, quite frankly, only shows the types of individuals that you indeed are. I hope that the vandals who committed these acts will face the full force of the law.

The Senate has a good opportunity to send a very clear message today. We can show support for the men and women—our great men and women—in the Australian Defence Force, and we can support and honour our military veterans. We can stand united against those who seek to attack their legacy.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

One Nation supports this motion, and I'll read it again:

That the Senate condemns the act of defacing war memorials by pro-Palestinian protestors, which is deeply insulting for current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and undermines the significance of these memorials as symbols of national pride and remembrance.

It undermines the very core and heart of our beautiful country, and the Australian people. It undermines the respect we have, as a nation and as individuals, for the service of so many caring Australians in our defence forces, past and present, and it reveals the pro-Palestinian protesters' true, anti-Australian agenda. I join with Senator Lambie and Senator Hanson in condemning the Greens for this divisive campaign that they are pushing based on ideology and harvesting votes. It is essentially treason—defacing and desecrating our country and what we stand for. Australians, whatever their views of the wars we've engaged in, take pride in and honour our service men and women.

I recall a friend of mine; when we were in our 20s, he made the off-the-cuff comment that he despised the War Memorial because it was a memorial to the glory of war. I said: 'No, no. It's not. It's a memorial to the service that men and women have given in supporting and defending this country and what we stand for.' He has gone on to be a proud grandfather, with two boys now serving in the Army and a daughter serving in the police force of Queensland. He has children and grandchildren who have served and are serving our country.

Free speech, as Senator Cash pointed out, is not vandalism and desecration, which is the violation of property rights and must be punished. To all service men and women and their families and relatives: thank you. We will vote in favour of this motion to condemn the acts of defacing war memorials in your name.

David Van (Victoria, Independent) | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in support of this motion, as well. We are right to condemn this vandalism, for two key reasons. One, of course, is that vandalism of the War Memorial and the war memorials down Anzac Drive is rightly deserving of condemnation. The Australian War Memorial is, in my view and in the view of many others, the most sacred place in Australia. How dare anyone deface the most sacred place in Australia? How dare anyone deface something that is so sacred and pays so much tribute to people who have fallen? I drove past the War Memorial on the way into Canberra yesterday. All the hoarding is down and you can now see that wonderful edifice. To think that that has been defaced by vandals—it's just a crime. Even on the news last night, they were doing a piece about 'G for George'. My great-uncle's name is on the roll of remembrance. He was a Lancaster pilot shot down over northern Germany in the Second World War. The place is sacred to me, as it is to all Australians.

But that's not the only crime that's been committed here. In pushing the expression 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free', they are trying to divide Australia. They are listening to Marxists from overseas who are seeding misinformation and disinformation to divide Australia and Australians. That must be punished. That is not just a grassroots movement. That is being pushed by foreign actors here in Australia. It must be seen for what it is—foreign misinformation and disinformation. I stand with Senator Lambie and I support this motion, and every decent-minded senator in this place should do the same thing.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

I deeply understand why this action would evoke and provoke strong emotion in the community. My family have lost members to war. My grandfather's brother, my Uncle Gordon, was lost during the Second World War. He flew Wellington bombers and, on a night in June 1944, his bomber disappeared over the English Channel. His body and the bodies of his crew were never found. His mum, my great-grandma, never got over that loss—never—and neither did my grandad. Throughout his life and the life of his mum and the life of every single remaining member of that family, echoing down to my family right now, there has been a hole and an absence and a sorrow that cannot be described. There's the lack of closure and a sense of frustration and the inability to grieve because so many have lost so many and you are made to feel that you should be grateful that you've lost only one son.

When my family emigrated to Australia, one of the first places we visited was the Australian War Memorial, because one of the co-pilots alongside Gordon was a man who was an Australian. We went and found his name up in the memorial and placed a poppy next to it. I can't remember that; I was a baby at the time. But, when I was elected to this place, one of the first things I did was go back to that memorial and place a new poppy and reflect upon not only the hole that this person who I had never known, who I don't even have a picture of, must have left in their family but also the way in which Gordon's absence and loss had continued to affect me. So I do understand why the actions that have been taken by the people who made these decisions to express themselves in this way have evoked this response.

I also very much hear the calls from MPs. We have MPs in this place who have served in the armed forces, Senator Lambie among them. I very much hear the call for respect of the War Memorial and a desire that it be a place of honour and reflection upon sacrifice and the impact of war. I very much understand that. When I went back to the War Memorial—this would have been five years ago—to place that poppy for the second time, as I left I was filled with a sadness that I expected and a melancholy that I expected, but I was also filled with emotions that I did not expect to experience. I was filled with anger and, quite frankly, disgust, and I will tell the chamber why. It was because, when you enter the War Memorial to go through the museum part of the memorial, one of the things that hits you immediately as you approach the desk is a flat-screen TV. On that flat-screen TV intermittently revolves the branded logo of some of the largest defence manufacturers in the world. We're talking about BAE and Raytheon and Boeing, the very organisations and corporate entities that make money while our troops are at war—while the children of Australia are in harm's way.

That prompted me to look further into this and to discover that those organisations are legally able to donate to the Australian War Memorial. Until very recently, as part of the expansion of the memorial, there was a theatre within the memorial, branded the BAE theatre. If you went on the website and you clicked the link, it took you to BAE's website. I found disgusting the idea that, if we were to go to war, corporations would make money from that reality; they have made money from previous times in which our people have gone to war. That made me feel really, really angry. Now, that's a view that I share; that's a view that is not shared by others in this place. It's a perspective I disagree with, but in that disagreement we see, and there is, a truth revealed. It is that memorials of any type, but particularly war memorials, are not politically neutral spaces. What is in them, who they reflect, what they say and what they don't say is the product of active political decision-making.

There was a time when an Australian war memorial did not feature the names of First Nations soldiers. There was a time when war memorials did not feature the names of those who had served in particular kinds of roles. There was a time when our nation sent First Nations people to war—in fact, in the Great War, Australia sent men to die in Flanders Fields whom they did not recognise as equal humans under the Constitution, and when they returned, they were still not recognised or counted as equal human beings under the Constitution.

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) | Link to this | Hansard source

You are wrong.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

That is the reality of our history. Every single time we build a space of reflection or we build a space of commemoration, there are decisions made by people in positions of power, and those decisions are inherently political. The decision to expand the War Memorial was a political decision. The decision to enable weapons manufacturers to display their goods was a political decision. The decision to feature those such as Ben Roberts-Smith within the memorial for as long as was done was a political decision. You can agree with it or you can disagree with it, but it was inherently a political decision.

Protest is a political decision. One of the reasons why we cannot support the motion brought by Senator Lambie today is that it frames the act of protest by way of interacting with a memorial or commemorative space as something that is exclusive to those who support justice and freedom for Palestine, and that is not true.

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) | Link to this | Hansard source

They vandalised it. They scrawled paint all over it.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

The reality is that we can't be in a position where we create a rule or express a view in such an inconsistent and unnuanced way, particularly not if one of the reasons that people are going to give for putting forward that view is that the men and women of the Australian Defence Force died for certain freedoms. The reality is that the Australian Constitution contains no explicit commitment to or guarantee of freedom of speech. I wish it did, but it doesn't. However, if we are to believe that the men and women of the ADF gave their lives in wars and conflicts to defend such freedoms, then you have to engage with the reality that protesting and painting is a form of speech. It literally, practically is.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) | Link to this | Hansard source

Wow. That is so disrespectful. That is disgusting. You've hit a whole new low today, Jordon. You have no respect for those veterans.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

I deeply do, Senator Lambie. I deeply do. Across our time working together—

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, do you have a point of order?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

Other speakers were heard in silence, and I'd like the same respect shown to Senator Steele-John.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

Across that time together, Senator Lambie, we've spoken many times about the respect that I have for our veterans and our soldiers, and we have collaborated many times on the ways in which those systems and processes need to be improved. You know as well as I do that it is the sad and indisputable reality that those who give their lives in battle in wars far away from home are often asked to do so in the name of causes which are so much less and so much less clear than they deserve when put in that situation. You know this.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie, on a point of order?

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order: I'd like you to withdraw that 'you know' because that is absolute rubbish. I would never, ever just agree to what you've just said.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie, you'll have other opportunities to make debate.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw those, Senator Lambie. What I was attempting to observe is that I think—and I may have misunderstood you—that if you and I had a chat about, particularly, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq we would come to an agreement that the lives lost in those wars should not have been lost and that the sacrifice given by the men and women killed in those wars did not actually turn out to be for the cause of Australian freedom. That was not what they died for. To say that every single individual named in those spaces died to protect our freedom—God, I wish it were true! I wish that we could say that every single person that gave their life for Australia had done so because they had been asked to take an action that would keep us safe or uphold our values. But that is not the case, and it is a crime that that is the reality of this country and that, for hundreds of years, we have sent men and women overseas to die, and so many have come back injured and psychologically harmed in the deepest of ways, and there was no need for it. They were sent overseas by politicians to die, because to do so suited the political purposes of the government of the day. I wish that were not the case, but it is the reality of our history.

So the Greens will not be supporting this motion today. These questions and topics are deeply important. It is our responsibility to engage with these subjects with the nuance, balance and perspective expected of us by the Australian community. That is the reason we will oppose this motion today.

Honourable senators interjecting—

You may well disagree with it and you may well be unhappy with it, but it is important that when we discuss these issues we do not engage with the reflexive and reactionary approaches that are so often the hallmarks of our political discourse and decision-making around the topics of war, because, when we do this and when we engage in these conversations in such a way, we create the very context that makes it so much easier to end up sending Australians overseas to die for causes so much less valuable than their lives.

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I think it's fair to say that all of us in this place are a bit shocked but not surprised by the reaction of the Australian Greens political party. You would have thought that the one thing that would bind all of us in this place would be coming together in memory of the sacrifices that each and every man and woman of our very proud ADF have made to protect our country and its values and freedoms so that people like Senator Steele-John and others in this place can actually say the very things that he and everyone else in this place have been able to say today.

Yet we have senators in this place who come in and don't do the right thing of backing our veterans, who are hurting because they have had to go through a very painful process through the royal commission. This is one opportunity that's been put before senators, and you would have thought that every single senator in this place would say: 'Yes, we're on your side. We condemn the actions—the violent actions, the abhorrent actions—by those who have taken a decision to vandalise one of the most sacred places in this country.' But, no, the Australian Greens political party chose to do the opposite thing and back those people who have vandalised and made a mockery of the fine men and women who have stood up for this country and paid the ultimate sacrifice. They are trying to conflate the debate by talking about some private contractors or some sponsorship.

Exactly, Senator Lambie; it is. I won't repeat it. Australians have a right to peaceful protest, but they do not have a right to vandalise, spray paint, desecrate or otherwise deface our memorials, particularly those to the men and women of our veterans community and the ADF. What Senator Steele-John and those in the Australian Greens are saying—and I hope they're wrong—is that it's okay. Is it okay now to go to cemeteries? Where do you draw the line? As someone who is the very proud husband of a member of the ADF, I can assure you that your comments are totally out of order and offensive. I bet you that every single one of her comrades in her unit watching today will be absolutely disgusted by your comments and those of the Australian Greens today.

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) | Link to this | Hansard source

We'll make sure they know.

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

We will, Senator Scarr. We will. Anzac Parade is there for all of us to honour those who have died. We don't get to cherry-pick and say: 'We'll back that person. We won't back them.' It is for all of us to honour the service and the sacrifice that the men and women of the Australian defence forces have made. Whatever your position is, their service and their sacrifice deserve respect from everyone in our community. All the other stuff that's going on at the moment—all the other debates around other issues—can be done in an appropriate, mature and adult manner in this place but not when we have things like Senator Lambie's motion before the chamber today, which deserves respect and mature discussion. But, again, are we surprised by the Australian Greens?

It's an absolute kick in the guts to wake up some mornings to find out that memorials have been defaced. Whether they be the Australian War Memorial here in Canberra or other memorials in my home state of Victoria, it is a real kick in the guts to wake up to that news. What is the message that those protesters are trying to send? Is it that somehow they're winning? Quite frankly I think it's the opposite. The people in the community are saying: 'Enough is enough. Stop your childish behaviour. Grow up, be adults and actually have a proper debate about the issue, rather than relying on vandalism and breaking the law, because we've had enough of that.' We've seen that some of our colleagues' offices have been vandalised, subjected to violence and firebombed.

As community leaders in this place, we have an obligation to say, 'It's okay to have a peaceful protest, but it is not okay to resort to violence.' Every senator in this place, including Senator Steele-John and every member of the Australian Greens, has that same responsibility. The responsibility that we have here as senators, as community leaders, is very powerful, and people are watching. We need to be able to set good examples, as role models in this place, for the rest of the community and say, 'It is not okay to resort to violence.'

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, on a point of order?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ciccone made a claim in relation to violence at electorate offices. He knows very clearly that we have condemned that violence. I would like Senator Ciccone to reflect upon that for the rest of his contribution.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

The call is returned.

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

We need to remind the community that while peaceful protest is part of a healthy democracy, criminal acts are not to be tolerated at all. I'm disgusted to hear about the latest acts. These are sacred sites and must be treated as such. We're a very proud nation of many people, and we're very proud of the men and women of our ADF, people who've fought for our freedoms. These acts of vandalism have no place in society, and we need to condemn them in the strongest possible terms. That is why everyone in this place, bar the Australian Greens, will be supporting Senator Lambie's motion about those people who have defaced our war memorials. I want to congratulate you, Senator Lambie, for moving the motion. On that note, I look forward to the Senate supporting Senator Lambie's motion.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lambie for bringing forward this very important motion today. I suspect it has turned out to be more revealing than you intended it to be when you moved it, and what should have been a moment of unity in this chamber has not turned out to be, but I'll reflect on that in a moment.

Our war memorials, whether they're the grand ones here in Canberra or the much more humble ones dotted around our suburbs, towns and cities, are the most revered monuments in Australia. In a country that is not as united as it once was, they are a point that Australians can rally around, can agree upon and can commemorate. You see that on ANZAC Day and on Remembrance Day when, in their millions, Australians get up early, go to their local war memorial and together—regardless of their background, race, ethnicity, religion or policies—solemnly pay tribute and commemorate the service and sacrifice of those who've fought and died in war to defend our country and the wonderful liberal democracy that we enjoy today as a result.

Whatever our views on foreign conflicts or other matters, we are able to unite as Australians on those solemn occasions at our war memorials to pay respect to them. What we've seen over the weekend in Canberra and in other incidents prior to now is a fundamental desecration of those sacred venues—a fundamental disrespect for the service and sacrifice of the more than 100,000 Australians who served and died in war and the many more than that who served, sacrificed and came back home. It is not too much to expect the elected representatives of the people in this place to reflect the sentiments of our community in standing up for that.

What is particularly egregious about this vandalism is the content of it. Let's be very clear and let's call this out directly: it was antisemitic. It's bad enough to vandalise a war memorial. It's even worse to put an antisemitic slogan on it. It's a slogan which the Prime Minister said is 'a very violent statement which has no place' in this country. It's a slogan which this Senate has voted overwhelmingly to condemn and say that it has no place in this country. On behalf of the opposition, I offer the government all bipartisan support for any measures necessary to protect our war memorials, whether that is additional resources to make sure they're not vandalised or additional legislation to make sure very severe criminal penalties flow for these acts of criminal vandalism, because the Parliament of Australia and the government of Australia need to send a clear signal that this conduct is unacceptable.

Senator Lambie, in her remarks, alluded to the way in which some people in this place have sought to profit politically from these foreign conflicts and sought to weaponise them for their partisan political advantage here in Australia. Recently, the Greens leader, Mr Bandt, was caught and recorded on a hot mic while addressing his national conference. It was reported in the Daily Mail. What he said at the conference was extremely revealing about the Greens. He said, 'I want you to think about what the narrative will be if we don't win these seats. Labor will say, "Ah, we can get away with bombing Gaza",' and then he goes on to talk about other matters. That's a disgraceful thing that Adam Bandt said, but it was very revealing in two respects. For the Greens, this is all about politics. For the Greens, this is about winning seats from the Labor Party in inner cities. Also, for the Greens, there's nothing they're unwilling to say in the pursuit of that objective. They're even willing to accuse the Australian Labor Party of being involved in bombing Gaza. On what planet is the Australian Labor Party bombing Gaza, and yet Adam Bandt is happy to weaponise this for political gain?

We just saw in this chamber from Senator Steele-John a 15-minute apology for the vandalism of our most sacred places. Senator Steele-John, the War Memorial is not a blank canvas for your extreme politics. The War Memorial is something that deserves respect and reverence and—

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, on a point of order?

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

The senator knows he's out of order. He has to address the chair. He's been disrespectful to the chair and—

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, through me.

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

disrespectful to the standing orders.

Sue Lines (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, through me.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy President. Through you, Senator Steele-John should know that the Australian War Memorial is not a blank canvas for the Greens' extreme politics. It is a place we should all respect; it is a place we should all uphold. It is extraordinary that any elected member of this place would come in here and defend the defacing and the desecration of these monuments, and he should be ashamed of that. All of the Greens should be ashamed for defending that. All of the Greens should go and see our veterans and our men and women in uniform and justify why this one place that should be beyond politics, that should be sacred, that shouldn't be desecrated is an appropriate place for them to broadcast their moral superiority, their self-satisfaction and their pride in weaponising these issues for political gain. They should be ashamed. They have an opportunity to rectify this. They have an opportunity to make up for the appalling remarks that Senator Steele-John made before. They have an opportunity to vote with the rest of the Senate in favour of Senator Lambie's motion and stand up for the good values of this country.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I have to say to Senator Lambie congratulations for bringing this to the attention of the chamber. The desecration and the vandalism of these war memorials tears at my heart, as it would for a lot of Australians. Every year, for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, people come out in their thousands and millions to respect those that who fought and died and sacrificed. The people that have done this are nothing but scum—absolute scum.

Vandalism has been happening, more so in recent years, to our statues, buildings, parks and other places, and now the War Memorial. This is something that I don't feel that our leaders of this nation are standing against. We're not hearing enough from our leaders to oppose this. We're hearing it today in this chamber, and I'm pleased we are. I heard Senator Steele-John make reference to these people not sacrificing their lives for freedom. I totally disagree with what Senator Steele-John said. If he looks at the history of the Second World War, Neville Chamberlain travelled to Germany three times to visit Hitler. He didn't want war. He was forced into it. Hitler then invaded Czechoslovakia, then Hungary and then France and other nations. The way he treated the Jews was that they were put into concentration camps, their lives were lost and so were businesses. Neville Chamberlain didn't want to go to war, and I don't believe that any politician in this place will want Australian citizens to go to war.

Senator Steele-John's message is that we shouldn't have wars. Then I'd ask the people of this nation who have faith in the Greens: if we were then to be attacked at a time by another country wanting to take us over, what would their stance be? Would they actually want to defend this nation? That's a question that people of this country really need to ask themselves come the next election on whether they should vote for the Greens.

Also I will say to the Labor Party: you have made quite a stance here today in condemning the Greens' comments. Will you still preference them? Would you still want them to have more seats in this parliament? Are you going to stand up for your values and what you truly believe in? Or is it all about what you think is best for you and the Labor Party rather than the people of this nation?

The people that are in this chamber today: thank you very much for being here and for listening to this debate. I'm sure most of you have either been born here or migrated here. But you migrated to this country for what it has to offer you: freedom, democracy and a way of life.

Those memorials have been erected to show our respect to those people that have fought and made sacrifices for this country and for what we have. That's why so many people want to come here and live here. That's why we really need to look more seriously at the people that we're bringing to this country. Where do their loyalties lie? You can have your protests, but this is Australia. This is not Palestine. This is not Israel. This is not Russia. This is not Ukraine. This is not any other nation. It is Australian soil. That's why we must respect it. You can have your protests, but this whole protest, really, in my eyes, started in this chamber when the Greens held up their Palestinian flags, made their disgusting speech and walked out of here. And that has continued on. There shouldn't be this division that's happening in this nation. For those people out there who are protesting through the vandalism that is happening, don't do it here on the streets. You don't belong here. Go back to a country that you belong to. Don't stay here with that hatred and the division that is happening on our streets.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

Bugger off, then.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I want that withdrawn.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hanson-Young.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

This vandalism—

I want that withdrawn as well.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

I didn't hear it, but for the benefit of the chamber—

Senator McKim interjecting—

I didn't hear it. You've been asked to withdraw. I just asked you. I don't even suspect it's on the Hansard.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I have my say about things and I say it openly so people know exactly where I stand. I'm a very proud Australian. People come here for a new way of life. Truly in this chamber I believe that every one of us, except the Greens, have the utmost respect for our serving defence personnel past and present. We have absolute respect for those people that have lost their lives in sacrifices they have made for this country, for our democracy, for our freedom and for our speech.

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

You've never done anything.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, you're not assisting me.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

He's not assisting anyone. Senator Shoebridge never does. All the garbage that comes out of their mouths is just that.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim?

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

That was a personal reflection on Senator Shoebridge and I ask Senator Hanson to withdraw it. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, please measure your comments and just withdraw that one.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, please. I'm not Senator Hanson-Young. For Christ's sake, I don't even look like her, for starters. Please don't insult me. I'm not Senator Hanson-Young.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I said 'Hanson-Young'—

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I mean it too.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

The debate is descending. Senator Hanson, please continue.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, the whole debate here today is about the vandalism and desecration of our war memorials. I'm calling on the leaders of this nation, whether they be the premiers or the police commissioners or whoever they are, even our Prime Minister: please do something about it. Do something, maybe, about looking at the people that we've brought into this country. Extend the time before they can get citizenship to eight years, to show that they are going to be good people for this nation and that they trust and believe in this nation that they want to be citizens of. If people on visas have committed this offence, deport them immediately. Get them out of the country. Don't allow them in the country. There are things that we can do. It's not just talk. If anyone does this desecration of our statues and other important features like this, get rid of them. Don't allow them in the country. We have that power. But everyone seems to be failing to do anything about it. You're all talk. Everyone's talk, with no action. We see this country going down the drain more and more all the time, yet we are not doing anything about it.

So what we've got to do is make the decisions, but I just want to finish by saying to Senator Lambie: thank you very much for bringing this to the attention of the chamber. We've seen where the Greens stand today. The people of Australia can really have a look at where they stand with this. Do you trust this mob to represent you in the chamber? Do you really respect them? Do you think they're going to be good for this country? Make the decision at the next election. I call on the Labor Party: don't give them your preferences.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) | Link to this | Hansard source

As was outlined so well by Senator Ciccone, the government will be supporting Senator Lambie's motion today, and we thank her for bringing it to the chamber. The War Memorial is a treasured national institution, and it's deeply distressing for me, including as a local Canberran, to see what has happened to it, with the vandalism of the War Memorial. I think the Senate this morning has shown through the contributions just why the community is so divided on some of these issues. There was an opportunity, I think, with this motion to stand together and to seek to unify the country and set our expectations of what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable—what's unlawful and deeply disrespectful—and we haven't been able to do that this morning. Some of the contributions have ensured, I guess, that the message out of the Senate this morning is that we are deeply divided on this as well.

So the government supports Senator Lambie's motion. We condemn the act of defacing war memorials as outlined by Senator Lambie's motion. I move:

That the question be now put.

Question agreed to.

Original question agreed to.

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! We just had a difficult debate. Senator Scarr, is this a point of order?

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) | Link to this | Hansard source

It is. I ask that it be noted in Hansard that the Greens actually voiced no to this motion.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

It's not the practice of the Senate and it's not a point of order, and Senator Steele-John clearly articulated the position of the Greens.