Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, when the Rafah Border Crossing reopens, will the thousands of people holding a tourist visa to travel to Australia be eligible to travel immediately?

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

I'm asked about the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing by the member for Cowper. He may have information that I don't have. That is possible, but I think it's unlikely.

But what I do want to see are borders which are able to be open because there is a release of hostages from Gaza currently being kept by Hamas, because there is an end to the death and destruction that we see against too many innocent civilians in Gaza on our TV screens every night, because we see an advance in peace and security between Israelis and Palestinians, and because we see in the region a recognition by Arab states of the State of Israel and the right for it to continue to exist within secure borders but also the right of Palestinians' legitimate aspirations that they have to live in peace and security behind their borders. That's what I hope for. That is something that has been longstanding bipartisan policy in the Australian parliament for a long period of time.

Australia has a proud history, going back to our role in the United Nations, with, importantly, the creation of not one state but two states, which was the vision of the United Nations, in which Australia played an important leadership role. I believe that Australians, when they look at what is happening in that part of the world and are horrified, particularly for people of Jewish background, dissent or faith, people of Islamic background or faith or people with relatives in that region, want to see this happen. What they don't want is conflict brought here. They want Australia to play a constructive role in the region. They object to some of the misinformation which is out there about Australia's role in that conflict. We are not participants, but we are people who are, consistent with the role Australia has historically played, advocates for peace, security, humanitarian values and the protection of all innocent life, whether it be Israeli or Palestinian.