Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to weapons exports and the attendance of a minister, as circulated.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to the attendance of a minister.

In recent weeks we found out just how far this government is willing to go to avoid scrutiny and accountability and to keep the public in the dark about dodgy government actions. This is a government that works hard to hide its cruelty, to keep its violence out of sight and out of mind and to keep the truth hidden.

There is no better example of this than when it comes to questions about their complicity in the genocide in Gaza. Minister Wong and Prime Minister Albanese have continuously dodged questions about their government's ties with weapons companies that are fuelling Israel's genocide, and the hundreds of millions of dollars of public funds going to these companies. We know there are a number of ways that weapons make their way from this country to fuel genocidal massacres around the globe, including Israel's bombardment of Gaza. The weapons usually do not come directly from the Department of Defence. The global military industrial complex is much more sinister than that. Labor uses this complexity to dodge questions about all the ways that weapons produced in this country make their way to Gaza. The constant misrepresentation and intentional avoidance of questions is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and avoid scrutiny. It's behaviour that constitutes contempt of the Senate.

I want to thank Senator Shoebridge's office for their work in scrutinising the government and revealing figures that confirm that, in February 2024 alone, Australia directly exported over $1.5 million dollars in arms and ammunition to Israel and that the entire value of direct arms and munitions exports to Israel since the Albanese government came to power is collectively over $3.25 million. Shame on you, Labor! Shame! You are complicit in genocide!

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Thorpe, I remind you to direct your comments through the chair.

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're all complicit in genocide, for these figures are only the tip of the iceberg. They do not account for the full scale of weapons, military goods and equipment that travel from Australia to Israel, and likely do not include military equipment exported indirectly through third parties. They also do not include the supply of weapons parts manufactured in Australia, without which these weapons could not be used to kill innocent civilians. Shame! There is blood on your hands.

Yesterday was Nakba Day. It's their Invasion Day—you know, what you were also all complicit in: the genocide of First Peoples in this country. It was Nakba Day. There is a clear genocidal campaign happening, and it's intended to complete Nakba. It's intended for Israel to wipe the land of its people.

For centuries, private companies have played central roles in fuelling colonial invasions, going all the way back to the British East India Company, which fuelled the British empire's invasion of lands all over the globe. It became a hugely wealthy and powerful company on the back of this invasion.

Multinational weapons companies have offices and factories all over the world, including in this country. They make millions profiting off massacres, like you all profit off the massacres of my people here, and supply invaders with bombs and weapons used to kill innocent civilians and expand their illegal occupations. Does that sound familiar?

As Palestinian professor Mazin Qumsiyeh said, 'There are many parallels between the genocide'— (Time expired)

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

The government does not support this suspension of standing orders. We believe there are other opportunities for senators in this place to put forward arguments like the one Senator Thorpe seeks to put here today, including as MPIs and urgency motions et cetera.

To be brief, I want to make it clear, as many ministers have in many different forums, that Australia has not supplied weapons to Israel since the conflict began and for at least the past five years. Australia has a stringent export control framework which is designed to ensure military and dual-use items are used responsibly outside of Australia. This framework requires the government to consider Australia's national interests and international obligations, including with regard to human rights, before issuing an export permit. As part of this process, Defence considers factors including the nature of the export, its proposed destination country and the proposed end user at that destination. Where there is a risk that issuing a permit could contravene our interests or obligations, that permit is refused. Defence continues to review the export permits it has granted to account for changes in the strategic environment and ensure that our exports continue to align with our international obligations.

Australia is party to and fully implements all major international arms control treaties, including the Arms Trade Treaty. Specifically, when Defence issues export permits for military or dual use, these are listed publicly on the Defence and Strategic Goods List. The supply of a weapon to Israel from Australia by the Australian government, an Australian company or an individual in Australia would require Defence to issue an export permit to allow it to leave our shores. The government can confirm that no weapons have been supplied to Israel for at least the past five years, because no export permits have been issued for weapons in that time.

I move:

That the question be now put.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the question be put.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Thorpe be agreed to.