Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second this motion in support of my good friend, the member for Berowra. There comes a time in every parliamentarian's life in this building where they need to stand up and take a principled position, and today is such a day—as it was when this motion was last put to the chamber. All members of parliament have an opportunity to do the right thing today. We have ventilated the horrors and evils that took place on 7 October last year when 1,200 innocent Israelis were killed—they were slaughtered—by Hamas terrorists, and what we have seen since that day is an appalling demonstration of support for those same Hamas terrorists on the grounds of our universities across this country. The least of which was at the University of Sydney, headed by the vice-chancellor, Mark Scott, the former chairperson of the ABC.

Last Friday night, the Sydney Muslim Students Association held a press conference at the University of Sydney where they proudly announced that the University of Sydney's leadership—that is, Mark Scott—had capitulated and had agreed to the demands of the Sydney Muslim Students Association, which has a direct association with Hizb ut-Tahrir. These demands include that they will have access to and a seat at the bargaining table to determine and have some form of oversight over what defence contracts the University of Sydney have entered into and will enter into. As the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I've got to say that I have immense concerns about the University of Sydney's decision to allow people who are involved or associated with Hizb ut-Tahrir to understand or have any insight whatsoever into defence industry contracts that are entered into by this country or the University of Sydney.

The home secretary of the United Kingdom, James Cleverly, spoke about Hizb ut-Tahrir. When the UK listed Hizb ut-Tahrir as a listed terrorist organisation, he said:

Hizb ut-Tahrir is an antisemitic organisation that actively promotes and encourages terrorism, including praising and celebrating the appalling 7 October attacks.

Proscribing this terrorist group will ensure that anyone who belongs to and invites supports for them will face consequences.

Yet, is Hizb ut-Tahrir a listed terrorist organisation in Australia? No, it is not. Why isn't it? Why has this government not listed Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation? This government continues to fail Jews across this country who are standing up for what is right.

Every member in this House—the teals, independents, the Labor Party—has an opportunity to stand up today and support the member for Berowra's private member's bill, which will see a judicial inquiry entered into, where the universities will have nowhere to run with their appalling conduct and the appalling support that they have provided to those who would seek to further antisemitism in this country.

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