Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

In answer to the Leader of the Opposition's first question for the week, let me assure the Leader of the Opposition that I, as Prime Minister, and this Labor government—like Labor prime ministers in the past and Labor governments in the past—are firm supporters of a two-state solution to the peace problems in the Middle East. We would all want to wake up in a world where Israel could live behind secure borders, its people in peace and no longer fearing rocket attacks from anyone outside their territory. We would all want to wake up in a world where the people of Palestine had their own nation and they too lived in peace behind secure borders. That is the world in which we would want to live. That is the world which we have always wanted to see come about. Labor has been and always will be: a supporter of a two-state solution in the Middle East; a strong and firm friend of Israel; and working with the Palestinian people to realise their legitimate aspirations for a homeland and for a state. That is what we will continue to do.

The Leader of the Opposition is asking this question: (1) because he needed to ask a question sometime this week; and (2) because the deputy leader is now such an embarrassment that she cannot pursue her portfolio areas. But the Leader of the Opposition is asking this question because he wants to play a little bit of political carry-on. I remind the Leader of the Opposition of this: it has been bipartisan policy across the major parties in this parliament to support Israel, to support peace in the Middle East and to support two states in the Middle East. This side of the parliament will always hold faith with that, and we will always take that issue with the utmost seriousness. It will not be this kind of political plaything to try to resolve your embarrassment today.

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