Dave Sharma (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's clear, from the answers given to my colleagues Senators Cash and Paterson, that, regardless of what we hear from those opposite, the government is not taking the issue of antisemitism seriously. They often say the right things, but their actions do not match their rhetoric. Ultimately, government is about priorities. It's about what you choose to address and what you choose to ignore. For too long, this government, this Prime Minister and senior ministers within this government have chosen to ignore, diminish, discount or even insult people who have called out the rise in antisemitism in our community.

What have we seen in Australia these past 16 months? We have seen a sustained campaign of harassment, intimidation and vitriol targeted at one specific Australian community in a way that, to my mind at least, is unprecedented in our history. It has taken on undertones and manifestations of a terrorist campaign in the last several months, and the targeting is being done solely on the basis of the religion these people observe or the faith that they uphold.

Two days after the worst terrorist attack in Israel's history—the equivalent of like a dozen September 11 attacks being inflicted on a nation; the largest single loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, in a single day—we saw the opera house protests erupt, where we saw the most hateful and vile slogans being uttered at Jewish Australians—not at Israel but Jewish Australians. We saw Israeli flags being burnt. Since then, we have seen a slow but sinister and inexorable descent of this campaign into lower and lower depths. It has gone from slogans, chanting, protests and doxxing to harassment, graffiti, campus intimidation and, in recent months, property damage and the torching of vehicles. Most recently, there was the firebombing of a synagogue, the firebombing of a childcare centre only last week and now the discovery of a caravan laden with explosives designed to cause a mass casualty terrorist attack targeted at a Jewish institution. This is shocking, in Australia. We had the intent, the ingredients and the capability to stage a mass-casualty terrorist attack in Australia, directed at one specific part of our community.

And what have we heard from our Prime Minister on this? He will not even tell us whether he was aware of this plot. He is not able to say whether he was briefed on this plot. He is not able to reassure us that he has convened the National Security Committee of cabinet, our security and intelligence chiefs, to get to the bottom of this plot. Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales, knows what's going on. As soon as this became public, he fronted the media. He told them what he knew. He told them the steps he was taking to reassure the community of their safety, as well as the Jewish community of Australia.

Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister, has been AWOL. This is not about revealing operational details or compromising intelligence or methods; it's about reassuring all of us that the person in charge of the country, in charge of the government, is on top of their game, that they are taking the issue seriously. Where is the Minister for Home Affairs on this? He's missing in action, he's in hiding, he's AWOL, because he doesn't want to confront and tackle this issue, because of his own local, domestic political imperatives, if you like

The Prime Minister has form here. You will recall that, after the 7 October terrorist attacks, Peter Dutton, the Leader of the Opposition, asked Anthony Albanese to convene the National Security Committee of cabinet to consider what the security implications would be for Australia. Anthony Albanese refused to do so. He refused to call Prime Minister Netanyahu for several weeks to express condolence at the largest loss of life in a terrorist attack that Israel has ever experienced. He refused to convene the national cabinet after his own special envoy to combat antisemitism recommend he do so. He was forced to do so only under pressure. Even addressing caucus this week—his own party—he didn't take this issue seriously. This tells you everything you need to know about this government's approach to this issue.