I seek leave to move a motion relating to Gaza, as circulated.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice standing in the name of Senator Shoebridge, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to Gaza.

Three years of Israel's genocide in Gaza; three years of mass murder of Palestinians; three years of killing more than 21,000 Palestinian children; three years of hundreds of aid workers and journalists hunted and killed; three years of violently and rapidly expanding illegal settlements in the West Bank; three years and counting of Israel's depravity and evil—

Senator Faruqi, I'm going to stop you there and remind you that you need to talk about why the matter is urgent and why you need to suspend standing orders. You need to talk to the suspension and not to the substantive matter of the motion.

The substantive matter is genocide. It's been three years of genocide where the Albanese government has done nothing. That is why the matter is urgent. We bring this motion as an urgency motion for the government to act. This government can't call these atrocities and war crimes what they really are, which is genocide. That is why this matter is urgent: because for three years the Albanese government has taken no action to stop the genocide. For three years, the Albanese government's impunity and active support for Israel's depravity and evil has led to this genocide continuing. That is why this matter is urgent. Rather than stopping the arms trade and rather than imposing sanctions on Israel to stop this genocide, they've been trying to shut down those of us who have been calling out this injustice and this genocide. That is why this matter is urgent. An overwhelming majority of Australians think that what Israel is doing is wrong. That is why this matter is urgent. But, rather than stopping the genocide, what the government has been doing for three years and counting is weaponising legislation to silence us. Rather than stopping the genocide, what the Albanese government, with One Nation and with the coalition, have been doing is gaslighting those who try to speak out.

Senator Faruqi, I remind you again that we are not debating the substantive motion. We are debating your motion to suspend.

There's a genocide still going on, and that is why this matter is urgent. If this chamber can't see that, then I don't know what I have to do. This matter is urgent because this Senate needs to do something about this genocide. Despite all of their gaslighting, despite all of them trying to silence us, we haven't stopped. The movement hasn't stopped, and we won't stop. This matter of genocide that we have put on the table today and have been putting on the table for the last three years needs to have some action taken against it today. Who the Labor government chooses to align Australia with tells you everything that you need to know about their values.

Senator Faruqi, once again, you are debating the motion instead of the motion to suspend standing orders.

It is urgent because even since the so-called ceasefire Israel has killed four Palestinians per day on average. The Albanese government can't just wash their hands of not acting on a genocide. They can't wash their hands of the blood of Palestinians. It is on their hands. This is why this matter is urgent. I've said before that the Prime Minister has never met a billionaire he didn't love, but watching him take selfies with one of the active participants of this genocide, Trump, is particularly galling—

Senator Faruqi.

The Prime Minister—

Senator Faruqi, if I call you, you stop. I've reminded you again—you are not debating the motion; you are debating your motion to suspend. They are different.

The genocide hasn't stopped. You can try and stop me, but the genocide hasn't stopped. The illegal settlements go on. The violence goes on. The mass displacement goes on. The killing of children goes on. You can try to stop me however much you like, calling on—

Senator Faruqi.

Senator Faruqi, come to order! I have been absolutely consistent with suspensions since I was elected president of this chamber. I direct everyone, every single senator, who is not talking about a suspension back to the matter. I have been absolutely consistent and I'm being consistent now. It's not a choice I'm making to stop you. I am upholding the standing orders of this chamber, and that is clearly my role as president. Please continue.

This matter is urgent because, instead of siding with humanity for Palestinians, our government chooses to cosy up with Trump, a warmonger whose barbaric ideas include threats to annihilate Iran, a fanatic whose so-called peace plan has prevented justice for Palestinians. Trump is a sadistic con artist who now plans to—

Senator Faruqi, once again—

Senator Faruqi, I've called you once again.

Senator Faruqi, if you don't come to order, I will seek the assistance of the chamber, and you won't be heard. In your final moments, please refer to your motion to suspend standing orders.

This motion is urgent, and it should be debated today because people around this country and people around the globe are calling on their governments to name the atrocities for what they really are—a genocide—and for this government to urgently pass the Red Lines Package Omnibus Bill 2026, which will stop any future government from going down this path of complicity and genocide; will expel the Israeli ambassador; will impose sanctions on Israel; and will end the two-way arms trade.

Thank you, Senator Faruqi. Your time has expired.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

Your time has expired, Senator Faruqi.

You're a disgrace.

Senator Hanson, withdraw that remark.

No, Senator Hanson. You stand up and you withdraw.

I withdraw.

Thank you.

I move:

That the question be now put.

The question is that the motion put by Senator Gallagher be agreed to.

The question is that the suspension motion moved by Senator Faruqi be agreed to.

I seek leave to move a motion relating to genocide as circulated.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice of motion standing in my name, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to genocide.

I'm proposing the suspension of standing orders today because last week marked three years of Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people. This means three years of relentless, intentional killing, destruction and displacement; three years of Israel using starvation as a tool for genocide; and three years of this country doing nothing to stop this genocide. I seek to suspend standing orders to move this important motion to call out the continued inaction of the Labor government in the face of a genocide broadcast live to the world. Under the genocide convention, which this country is signed up to, it is our obligation to punish and prevent the crime of genocide and to act to stop it wherever it occurs. There is no excuse. It is clear that what Israel is doing constitutes genocide.

In September last year, the United Nations independent international commission of inquiry concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and called on all states to fulfil their legal obligations to prevent—

Senator Thorpe, I remind you: this is about a suspension motion, not about the motion you've put. We've now moved on.

It's an urgent motion because Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the commission has called on all states to fulfil their legal obligations to prevent genocide and end their complicity.

This is an urgent motion because this country is just failing to act in the face of genocide. It is actively complicit in it. It continues to supply weapons parts. That's why this motion is urgent. This government is supplying weapons to Israel to commit genocide—that's why this motion is very, very urgent—and not only weapons but fuel and military intelligence to support Israel. That's why this motion is urgent—because this country maintains trade and diplomatic relationships with Israel. That's why it's urgent. There could be no more urgent reason to suspend standing orders today, and every other day, than to act in line with our most fundamental human rights obligation: to prevent and stop genocide.

We cannot keep going with business as usual. That's why this is urgent. Every minute we don't act could mean the life of another Palestinian is lost. Israel's intent was clear from the beginning. That's why this motion is urgent—because, when Israel announced on 9 October 2023 that no food, water or humanitarian aid were allowed to enter Gaza, it started one of the largest starvation campaigns in the world. That's why this motion is urgent. Within a short time 2.3 million Gazans were starving. That's why this motion is urgent. Never has the world seen such starvation so quickly. People were starving to death in a world of abundance, in a world where supposedly a rules based order exists. Has everyone just given up on that order? That's why this motion is urgent. What if it happened here?

Letting Israel get away with breaking all international law is why this motion is urgent, and they are breaking the most basic rules of humanity, in the 21st century, without consequence. That's why it's urgent. It sets a dangerous precedent and makes this world a scary place for all of us—even you, President. We need to suspend standing orders today, urgently, because there is no more important issue to act on than genocide and to prevent the destruction of life. There is no excuse of not being able to apply sanctions when this country has sanctioned other countries such as Russia. That's why this motion is urgent. There is no excuse for the Albanese government's inaction at all. (Time expired)

I move:

That the question be now put.

The question is the motion as moved by Minister Gallagher be agreed to.

The question now is that the suspension motion as moved by Senator Thorpe be agreed to.