Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of the coalition to support the motion put forward by Senator Lambie. Let me make this very, very clear upfront: there has been one group of parties—the coalition—that has unequivocally, since October 7 2023, condemned the vile rise of antisemitism in this country. The Jews of Australia are currently living in fear. There are people who don't want their children to go to school on a daily basis. There are people who wake up every morning and wonder, 'Is it going to be me when I leave my house today?' There are people waking up every single morning and wondering, 'Is it my shop, my business, that is going to be targeted today?'

On October 7 2023, when that vile act of terrorism occurred, the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, made it very, very clear to the Prime Minister of Australia that we would work with the government to address whatever needed to be done to fight antisemitism. Let's look at where, in February 2025, we are now at. I'm sorry, but ever since 9 October 2023, when, as I said, we saw the despicable pro-Hamas protest outside the front of the Sydney Opera House, just one day after the massacre of 1,200 Jewish people in southern Israel, the Prime Minister of this country has failed to lead us when it comes to antisemitism. Jewish Australians across Australia not only deserve our support but are crying out to the Australian government, 'Please don't just listen to us and give us words; give us concrete action that will show us you stand with us and you understand us but, more than that, you will put in place the necessary laws to fight the rise of antisemitism in this country.'

Unfortunately, in the recent events in my home state of Western Australia, we saw the most vile display of graffiti: a swastika with 'F the Jews' inscribed on a person's home in the suburb of Dalkeith. This is actually getting worse, and I just wish the government would wake up and understand it. What is it going to take? A synagogue was firebombed in Melbourne. A Jewish childcare centre was firebombed in Sydney. A car was firebombed outside the recent address of a prominent Jewish leader. Then, of course, a caravan full of explosives was found in suburban Sydney with a map of Jewish targets, including the Great Synagogue. As we all know, had this attack actually come off, it could have been the most disastrous terrorist attack in Australian history. The list goes on. Synagogues have been sprayed with swastika graffiti. Homes—these are people's homes, where they live, their pride and joy, the places where they go home to for solace at night—have been sprayed with stars of David, reminiscent of Nazi Germany.