Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Instead it was one that tried to make mocking humour out of a matter of life and death and the serious matter of international relations. I, for one, am disappointed in the approach the coalition has taken.

To return to the question: I think the Australian people would like, if not every aspect of this matter of Mr Zygier's treatment in imprisonment revealed to the light of day, then certainly a good deal of it. But that is a matter for the government of Israel. We have made it very clear to them that we want a full statement of Mr Zygier's treatment while he was in prison.

I might say, as I have said before about this: Mr Zygier chose to be a dual citizen. He was an Australian who went to Israel and lived there for 10 years, taking out dual citizenship. He opted to work for the Israeli government, and according to reports that have appeared in the Israeli media—reports that I cannot confirm nor deny—he worked for Israeli security. None of these matters relieve us of an obligation to fulfil—(Time expired)