Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The Islamic Republic of Iran regime and the terrorist groups they arm and fund make absolutely no secret of their desire to eradicate Israel and to spread dangerous and violent antisemitism around the world. That is the very behaviour which we have been warned by our security and intelligence agencies that we must be on alert for. It is absolutely unacceptable to have a foreign official openly espousing such dangerous antisemitic hatred in the Australian community, and it is extremely disturbing that the Iranian ambassador has been doing so since October 2023, and the only response has been to have DFAT officials ask him not to do it.

At Senate estimates on 26 October 2023, I first raised the embassy's activity on social media with DFAT and the minister. I asked, 'Is DFAT aware that the Iranian embassy in Australia has been posting alarming anti-Israel and pro-Hamas content to their social media page?' The answer from DFAT was that they haven't been monitoring the Iranian embassy social media, but they said, 'Officials have regular discussions with the Iranian ambassador to make it very clear what our position is in relation to the Gaza conflict, including in relation to what Iran does and how Iran should stay out of it.'

In February this year, I again raised the ambassador's disturbing social media activity with the department and with the minister. The department, again, wasn't aware of the social media posts, but on notice responded and said,

Australia does not tolerate, under any circumstances, attempts by foreign regimes to disrupt peaceful protests, or to try to push violence or suppress specific views from being expressed.

That was February 2024.

In 20 June 2024, I again raised the regime's social media activity and promotion of violence with the department. This time, in the context of the embassy's social accounts posting a letter to university students praising anti-Israel protests and labelling students as having formed a branch of the resistance front. I asked if DFAT agreed that the IRI regime is purposefully attempting to provoke pro-Hamas protests in the West to sow discord and potentially create violence in our communities. The response from DFAT officials was 'I don't think that's our assessment to make', and they deflected the questions to Home Affairs.

Now, how is it, after raising these issues so many times with the government, that the response is still to have a mid-level official meet with the ambassador? As I've said, the IRI regime has shown time and time again that it has no qualms about provoking and carrying out violence, and they've got away with this and increased their power and influence, because, rather than taking firm action in response to the promotion of violence and terrorism, the West sends the message, often via anonymous briefings to the media, that we can't take action because we're worried about how the IRI regime will react.

While it is not in the power of Australia to control the actions of this regime in the Middle East, it is in our power to send a clear message that, if you're a guest in Australia who repeatedly promotes violent antisemitism, then you have no right to be in this country any longer.

Question agreed to.