Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion moved by the member for Wentworth, and I congratulate her on doing so. I want to speak about the issue that's actually before us. On the first day that this parliament sat after the terrorist atrocities of 7 October 2023, this parliament overwhelmingly voted for a motion. It said, in clause (3):

… the House …

…   …   …

condemns antisemitism and recognises that generations of Jewish people have been subjected to this hateful prejudice …

I, on that day, said:

I know I speak for every member of this House when I say that this kind of hateful prejudice has no place in Australia. The awful antisemitism chanted by some of the protesters at the Sydney Opera House is beyond offensive; it is a betrayal of our Australian values. We reject it and we condemn it. Our country is better than that and our country is a better place because of our Jewish community. Our government is committed to keeping the community safe.

We have not wavered.

Antisemitism stands in vile opposition to all we are as a nation and all that we have built together over generations. It has no place in our nation, and we'll combat it with the full force of our laws and total commitment from every level of government.

Some of the horrendous acts have led to arrests. More will follow. We have a simple message to those cowards and criminals engaged in these low acts of hatred: you will be caught and you will be punished; our government has no tolerance for your actions. That is why we introduced a landmark ban on the Nazi salute and hate symbols—the first ever—which came into effect in January last year. It's also why we criminalised doxxing, legislation that some failed to support in this parliament, at the end of last year.

Our groundbreaking legislation has made it easier for our law enforcement bodies to deal with the perpetrators of antisemitic acts, but it cannot be our only tool. Hatred feeds on ignorance, and ignorance thrives in darkness. So, as we fight these crimes of bigotry in the present, we are building for a better future through the light of education and memory. Last week, as we marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day, my government committed $2 million for the upgrade of the Holocaust Institute for WA education centre, and we also announced $4.4 million for a national centre for Holocaust education here in Canberra. I want it to be part of the itinerary for visiting school groups, every bit as much as Parliament House, Questacon and the National Museum are.

The Holocaust was carried out on a scale that falls across the decades like a terrible shadow, and we cannot let its lessons recede into history. It's important we know what road hate can take people down. We saw hatred in the October 7 attacks, the same hatred fuelled the fire that devastated the Adass Israel Synagogue of Melbourne, and the same hatred drove those who targeted a childcare centre in Maroubra. These acts of hatred are an assault on the rights that every Australian cherishes.

In addition to the laws we have passed, this government has made multiple commitments and investments to combat antisemitism. They include: establishing Special Operation Avalite, to respond to and investigate antisemitism attacks; $57 million investment to improve safety and security at Jewish schools and synagogues; an $8.5 million investment to upgrade the Sydney Jewish Museum; funding towards the replacement of the Torah scrolls housed in the Adass Israel synagogue; the appointment of the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal—something that has existed for a while in other parts of the world; and an agreement of National Cabinet to establish a national database to track antisemitic crime.

In addition to that, we will continue to provide ASIO, the Australian Federal Police and all of the authorities every resource that they request or desire in order to be able to do their work. We respect their work and give them support.

We want to make sure that we have not just the words, as we repeat them, 'never again'; we want to make sure that this is a reality. We know that antisemitism has given dark shadows across generations. I say to Jewish Australians: live proudly, stand tall, you belong here and Australia stands with you.

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