Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

The government does not support this suspension of standing orders, and, as we've said a number of times, there are ample opportunities in this chamber to pursue arguments in relation to the conflict in the Middle East if the Greens should choose to do so. We have MPIs and urgency motions—a whole range of time and daily allocation that could be used—and a suspension will not be supported by the government.

I would say, since we've last met in this place, I think everyone in this place and, indeed, around the country has watched with concern and horror at the continuing conflict in the Middle East and at some of the escalation that we've seen happening in the Middle East. The government has made its position very clear on a number of occasions, including three Fridays ago, in a joint statement with Canada and New Zealand, about its views around what's happening in that part of the world. The deaths and devastation in Gaza cannot continue, and the escalation that we're seeing in that region makes a ceasefire even more urgent, if that's possible. We condemn the unacceptable deaths of innocent civilians as a result of Israel's operations in recent weeks, and we have been calling for a ceasefire for nine months now. We've called on parties to immediately agree to President Biden's UNSC endorsed ceasefire proposals, and we acknowledge that civilians are caught in the middle and that they must be protected. At the same time, hostages must be released, and humanitarian access must be increased.

But let's be clear about what this suspension from the Greens is all about; it's for Australia to cut diplomatic ties with Israel altogether. There are 160 countries with diplomatic relations with Israel. We have diplomatic relations because it is in our interests to do so, because this is how we put our views and advance our interests in the international community. We've put our view that we need an immediate ceasefire, an increase in humanitarian access, the release of hostages and the prevention of regional escalation. We've put our view that Israel must adhere to international humanitarian law and that civilians must be protected. This includes when we joined with partners in condemning the comments by the Israeli finance minister about starving civilians, because the deliberate starvation of civilians is a war crime.

On the subject of sanctions, the government has already imposed sanctions on several Israeli extremists and will deny anyone identified as an extremist settler a visa to travel to Australia. As for further sanctions, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises that no countries have applied the sanctions that the Greens have called for. Moreover, governments never speculate on sanctions, which the Greens know, but they have decided to play political games with this issue. They are trying to reproduce the conflict here for their own gain, as other members of this government have drawn to the public's attention, despite all the warnings about the cost to our community from taking this approach. The international community is trying to dial down the temperature in the Middle East. It would be nice if some in this chamber tried the same approach. I move:

That the question be put.