Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate—

(a) deplores the appalling and unacceptable rise in antisemitism across Australia, including violent attacks on synagogues, schools, homes and childcare centres;

(b) unequivocally condemns antisemitism in all its forms; and

(c) resolves that all parliamentarians will work constructively together to combat the scourge of antisemitism in Australia.

The antisemitism going on in this country has got to stop. It is not just hateful and hurtful; it's un-Australian, flat out. Seriously, this is not who we are. This is not who Australians are. Having a go at anybody because of the colour of their skin or their religion is totally unacceptable. The Jewish community have been living in fear for months in their own backyards. Their kids are afraid to go to school, and our Jewish communities and businesses feel like they are under siege. It is not fair. To the people who are doing this—spray painting hateful things on our childcare centres and on our cenotaphs, not to mention the vandalism of property that is going on in the Jewish community—I say: you people are at the bottom of the barrel. You seriously are Australia's scum, and I will call you out for that today. You are scum! All politicians in this Senate and the House need to work together and stand up against antisemitism and racism in all its forms. All politicians and leaders need to resist the urge to use these attacks for political purposes. We need to say in one voice, 'This behaviour is not on and we will not put up with it, not in this country, not in this nation.'

Antisemitism has a 3,000-year history. Many of the Jews who came to Australia came here after World War II to build new lives for their families and to help us build this country to where it is today. They come here to be safe, to safely follow their religion, to safely raise their families and to safely prosper, like the rest of us. Some of our greatest Australians were Jewish, including General Monash, one of my heroes, who fought against antisemitism his whole life. Monash was born in Melbourne in 1865 to German Jewish parents. He went on to be a civil engineer, and when world war broke out in 1914 he became an officer in the Australian Army. At the time, some members of the military tried to block his appointment just because he was Jewish. I thought we would have learned the hard way, but some Australians apparently have not. In July of 1915 Monash was promoted to brigadier general, a move that was met with another antisemitic backlash. This antisemitic backlash was spearheaded by Charles Bean and Keith Murdoch, who conspired amongst themselves to see the dismissal of Monash. They said:

We do not want Australia represented by men mainly because of the ability, natural and inborn in Jews, to push themselves forward.

Eventually these lines reached the ears of Prime Minister Billy Hughes, who became convinced that Monash should be relieved of command. Thank God he wasn't. He went on to conduct himself with extraordinary bravery and become known as one of our greatest tacticians, not to mention one of our greatest military members.

Following the war, Monash was appointed director-general of repatriation and demobilisation and became one of the principal organisers of the annual observance of Anzac Day. In short, Monash is now recognised as one of our greatest Australians. I can only imagine how horrified he would be that over 100 years later we still have people that think the way they thought about him.

I hope every senator in this place votes for this motion. We need to send a strong message to the Australian Jewish community that we have their backs and will not tolerate this behaviour on our streets. We won't tolerate it with the Jewish community and we won't tolerate it with any community, because it is un-Australian. That's it. It's as simple as that.

I would like to leave you with the words of Yvonne Engelman: 'The most important message I have to tell is not to be a bystander but to stand up and voice your opinion. Be a decent human being. And if you keep that in your mind you will always benefit from it.' This will only be a great Australia if we all stand up and we all put in. We've all got to do the heavy lifting. But being a coward and doing things out in the streets that are un-Australian is not Australia. It is not Australia. People are going through really hard times and tough times at the moment, and I can tell you they are not putting up with your nonsense anymore. There is only a small minority out there that's doing this. You are disgusting. Like I said, you are the scum of not only this country but the earth. There is no more tolerance. We have had enough. We will stand together as one. We will stand for the Jewish community and any other community that has this inflicted on them now and in the future and we will stop this, because it's not the Australian way and it's not Australian behaviour.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of this motion moved by Senator Lambie—I thank her for doing so—and moved by the member for Wentworth in the other place. We have seen a devastating rise in antisemitism in this country. We have seen actions which have appalled us all—the vandalism and arson of a Jewish MPs office, the Adass Israel Synagogue firebombed, antisemitic graffiti, words of hate sprayed on cars and on buildings, a caravan laden with explosives, vile acts of hate, attacks on places of worship, antisemitic slogans and the torching of cars and premises.

This has been so distressing for the Australian Jewish community—such a valued part of our pluralist nation. This has been so distressing for so many Australians, because we are a nation that welcomes different races. We are a nation that welcomes different religions. We are a nation that welcomes different views. We are a pluralist nation, united by respect for each other's humanity and united by respect for each other's right to live in peace. People in this country should not only be safe but feel safe.

I've previously said these attacks are an attack on the Australian Jewish community, but they are also an attack on who we are as Australians. They're an attack on our values—the values of this country which has welcomed so many from so many parts of the world and which has a commitment to respect for one another's beliefs and one another's faiths. So it is important and appropriate that today, across the chamber, we stand together to unequivocally condemn antisemitism in all its forms, just as we should condemn hatred, in all its forms, directed at any group in our community.

The scourge of antisemitism doesn't respect international borders, and we know it has deep roots across the world and a long history. Last week, I had the honour of representing Australia alongside Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus; the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal; and the Deputy President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Robert Goot, at the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The words of the Holocaust survivors that day will stay with me forever. They spoke of being stripped of their humanity, of feeling powerless and abandoned and of the desperate cries that still haunt their souls. Amongst the stories of destruction and depravity, Holocaust survivors implored us to remain vigilant about the horrific reality of where hatred—of where antisemitism and intolerance—can lead.

Leon Weintraub was one of those survivors. He was only young when the war began. He and his family were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where his mother and her sister were both murdered. He's now 99 years old. This was his advice to all of us who were gathered: 'I urge all people of goodwill, and, especially, I ask of the young people: be sensitive to all expressions of intolerance and resentment towards those who are different, regardless of their skin colour, their religion or sexual orientation. At this time of worsening antisemitism here and around the world, it is more important than ever for us to stand together across beliefs and across politics.' To take Mr Weintraub's words to heart, to make practice of them in our lives and to insist, 'Never again,' let us all stand in defence of Australian values, values in which I believe so deeply and that I have articulated and advocated for all my life—values of respect, of acceptance and of inclusion—because they are the foundation of who we are, and we must defend them.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to 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.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

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

I don't know what more it's going to take for government to wake up and understand that we have a crisis of antisemitism in this country and they, by their lack of action, are enabling it.

Let's have a look at what the Prime Minister of Israel himself, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, has said. This is what he said in relation to the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne:

Unfortunately, it is impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israeli position of the Labor government in Australia …

That is the Prime Minister of Israel. Israel's deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, has also criticised the Albanese government in the wake of the recent antisemitic attacks in Sydney. This is what she said:

I note, however, that the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and other Australian ministers are refusing to accept any responsibility for the shocking recent surge in anti-Semitic terror in Australia. There is no doubt the rise in anti-Semitism in Australia has been caused in part by the Australian government's ongoing campaign against Israel.

We see that campaign in the United Nations.

This is what the chief rabbi of Perth Hebrew Congregation in Western Australia, Dan Lieberman, said in relation to the graffiti that I referred to previously: 'It's a turning point for the Jewish community of WA. People will get sick of this nonsense very quickly and they will make plans to leave. Jewish people have moved around for 2,000 years, and we will do it again. Australian society has to decide whether the people of Einstein, Salk, Freud and Monash are worth keeping around. If they decide that they are not then all they need to do is continue down this path and allow incidents like this to go unchallenged and unpunished. The Jewish community will move on, and Australian society will be the poorer for it. We have contributed and will continue to contribute so much to this country and to Western society, and we will continue to do so—but not if the society that we are attempting to benefit rejects us, either explicitly or implicitly, by way of silence and inaction in the face of antisemitism.'

It's no wonder that Jewish Australians are feeling let down. Journalist Sharri Markson has said: 'Vulnerable is an understatement. This isn't the world any of us want to live in. Jewish Australians have only ever contributed in a wonderful way to this country, in every area of life, to help make Australia a better place to live.'

The coalition completely supports the motion put by Senator Lambie today. But what I fear more than anything is that, even though the Leader of the Opposition told the Prime Minister in 2023 that we would work with the government to tackle the rise of antisemitism in Australia, it is very clear in February 2025 that the Jewish people of Australia have been let down. This motion will pass the Senate, but, based on the government's track record to date, it's going to be mere words. Words, quite frankly, are not what the Jewish community or Australians need. They need leadership and they need action.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, I thought you might have taken note that this debate is being heard in silence, but I had to call you to order. I was very reluctant to sit Senator Cash down. She is the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. She is entitled to be heard in silence, as is every other senator. If you can't sit and not make interjections, then please leave the chamber.

Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Antisemitic hate crimes and the recent spate of horrific hatred against Jewish people are deeply concerning. It is appalling, and there should be no place for that kind of hatred in this country—no place for that kind of hatred and racism against anyone living in this country. The Greens and I were calling out racism in all its forms before anyone in here was doing so. We've been calling out right-wing extremism and Neo-Nazism, which are a threat to everyone in this country.

In my first speech in this very chamber, in 2018, I spoke about the threat of rising far-right extremism. We are seeing the consequences of it right here. That threat is converting into antisemitism and Islamophobia. We have seen a rise in hatred against Muslims, Arabs and Palestinians as well. Of course we need to tackle racism and hate, but we need to tackle it at its roots. And you know what? Racism is rooted in the colonisation of this country—the racism that, to this day, is perpetrated against First Nations people.

When we talk about tackling antisemitism or any form of racism, we need to be serious about doing it for every single community that is targeted by racism and hate, whether First Nations people, Jewish people, Muslims—any race, any religion—or LGBTQIA+ people. We need to address all forms of racism and hate.

The Greens have pushed for years. I have to say we are the only party in here that puts a high priority on antiracism, the only party that has an antiracism portfolio. We have pushed for a national antiracism strategy and framework for years, and it is now available for us as a road map. That road map urgently needs to be fully funded and implemented, because that road map talks about so many ways we can implement antiracism in this country; there's not one thing or the other that we need to do. We have to get really serious about tackling hate and racism in this country, and there is a road map right there for us. So I hope everyone in this chamber can support the urgent funding and implementation of the national antiracism portfolio.

The Greens support this motion, but it would have been really good to see an acknowledgement of tackling and condemning all forms of racism in this country, not trying to weaponise antisemitism. We want to make it clear we support this motion—of course we have to tackle antisemitism—but we need to tackle every single form of racism.

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order: the use of the phrase 'trying to weaponise antisemitism' in the context of this resolution—I think it should be withdrawn. It imputes an improper motive.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Scarr, I wasn't aware that that use of words was directed to any senator in particular. It's up to Senator Faruqi whether she withdraws the comment or not. I'm not directing her to, because it wasn't directed at anyone in particular.

Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've completed my speech, thank you.

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too want to congratulate the member for Wentworth for bringing forward this motion in the House. Here in the Senate I congratulate you, Senator Lambie, for your strong voice. I acknowledge your position as a crossbencher endeavouring to do exactly what is in the third point of your statement, which is to endeavour to resolve 'that all parliamentarians will work constructively together'.

I have this to say as the chair of the parliamentary friends of Israel, with a particular interest: antisemitism did not die in the gas chambers of Auschwitz, nor did it begin in Nazi Germany. It's a scourge that has afflicted the Jewish people and threatened their annihilation since their inception. This is an ancient and insidious evil that is not confined to history. Sadly, it continues to leave an ugly mark on humanity today. Speaking as a member of the Senate for New South Wales, I say the stain on Sydney is a disgrace. In mid-2024 I stood in this Senate and stated that the Jewish community of Australia had witnessed a shift from an uptick in antisemitism to an almighty surge. Now it has become a torrent. There should not be a race in this place to be the first ones to claim it. We only need to stand united to decry it.

The horrific massacre of October 7 saw the largest killing of Jewish people since the Shoah. It unleashed and gave licence to those who are filled with hatred in their souls, allowing them to continue to torment a people who experienced a reopening of deep trauma in their collective psyche. I have continued to be shocked and disgusted. As Senator Lambie has asked of me, and of all of us in this place, I will not be a bystander. All people of goodwill in this place have not been bystanders. We should be united in our shared decrying of the kinds of behaviours that are manifesting themselves on the Australian streets.

I never thought I'd see the day when synagogues were torched, cars were bombed and Jewish Australians woke to daily vile hatred sprayed on the walls of the neighbourhoods in their communities. Australia is the most successful multicultural, multifaith nation in the world. It prides itself on being home to the second largest cohort of Holocaust survivors after the State of Israel. It's an accomplishment that we proudly continue to offer to all refugees and persecuted people seeking shelter.

Yet this achievement is not complete. Continual understanding, tolerance and vigilance are required to maintain the welcoming society that so many fled to join. I stand with all leaders of goodwill, not malign intent—all leaders of every community that acts in goodwill. As a government, we will continue to pour more resources into policing and supporting AFP Special Operation Avalite to coordinate the response, ensuring that the Prime Minister's strong words are realised. These thugs will be hunted down and locked up with no stone left unturned as they face the full force of the law. But now is a moment of united leadership. No-one can put themselves ahead of the real and pressing needs of the Jewish community right now. We stand united behind you. That is our task. That is my commitment.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of Senator Lambie's motion relating to antisemitism. Words are important. Words carry weight. Words do matter. But I foreshadow that I'm also proposing to move an amendment to this motion, because even more important than words is actions, and what the Jewish community has been asking of state and federal governments in this country for 15 months now is for action to accompany the words of condemnation. The amendment has been circulated in the chamber, but, for the benefit of senators, I'll read out the words:

At the end of the motion, add:

(d) calls on the Government to support:

(i) strengthening the penalties for those who urge or threaten attacks against places of worship,

(ii) strengthening the sentencing regime for terrorism by legislating for a mandatory minimum term of 6 years' imprisonment for all acts of terrorism under Commonwealth law, and

(iii) the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences of 12 months' imprisonment for the display of prohibited antisemitic and terrorist organisation symbols and related behaviour in public, and increase the maximum penalty to 5 years' prison.

I firmly believe that Australia is the best country in the world. But, if we are being honest, we have not been at our best over the last 15 months. Ever since the 7 October atrocity perpetrated by Hamas against the people of Israel, it has been clear that we may have a problem in this country. If there were any doubt in our minds that we have a problem, I think it should have been removed on 8 October, when an impromptu rally was held in Western Sydney. The rally was addressed by Sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun, an extremist preacher. At that rally he said it was a 'day of pride, a day of elation, a day of victory'.

It can't be said that this rally in Western Sydney was held to commiserate with the tragic loss of innocent Palestinian life, which of course has occurred in the war in Gaza and which all decent people deplore, because, at that point, no Israeli defence force response had been organised; Israel was not in Gaza. This rally was a celebration of death, a celebration of hatred. This was a celebration of antisemitism. The following night, at the Sydney Opera House—again, before any IDF response was organised—a mob of young people were chanting hateful slogans about the Jewish community, in shameful and embarrassing images that were broadcast around the world and which besmirched our reputation as a country.

At that point there were no excuses. At that point there could be no doubt that antisemitism had reared its ugly head in Australia and that strong action and leadership were necessary to tackle it. The Jewish community has been warning state and federal parliaments around the country that unless action were taken this would get worse and that, unless we quickly and decisively moved to address these issues, then real harm could come to the Jewish community.

The coalition has been proud to stand with the Jewish community in echoing and amplifying those words, those warnings, and calling for action—like on 14 November 2023, when the opposition leader, Mr Dutton, wrote to the Prime Minister, Mr Albanese, and first called on him to hold a national cabinet to confront and deal with the scourge of antisemitism and extremism. The Prime Minister, to this day, 15 months later, has not had the decency to respond to Mr Dutton's request, and, for those 15 months, he was full of excuses as to why a national cabinet wasn't necessary, why it didn't need to be called and why everything else the government was doing was sufficient to address antisemitism. He even said that one of the reasons he didn't call a national cabinet earlier was that 'people were on leave'. He said that people don't want more meetings; they want action. Finally, the Prime Minister agreed to call a national cabinet. He did so after the firebombing of a childcare centre in Maroubra. It shouldn't have taken the firebombing of a childcare centre for the Prime Minister to realise how badly out of control antisemitism had become on his watch and why coordinated national action, from his office down, was necessary.

Regrettably, despite his admission that a national cabinet was necessary—after dismissing calls from Jewish community leaders like the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and his own hand-picked antisemitism envoy—the only action which emerged from the National Cabinet was a new database on antisemitism. Well, we already have databases that collect antisemitic incidents. The ECAJ publishes data every year, and it's shocking if you read it: there was a 700 per cent increase in antisemitism over the last year.

A new database at the Commonwealth level is not going to change anything. It's not going to deter any of the people who think it's acceptable to firebomb a synagogue or a childcare centre or a car or someone's business. Being a line on an Excel spreadsheet is not keeping these people up at night. What might deter them are real consequences for their actions—real penalties for their behaviour. That's why the action which I propose in this amendment to this motion today is necessary; that's why mandatory minimum sentences are needed—to send a clear signal that what has happened in our country over the last 15 months is not acceptable.

At a time when we needed moral courage, at a time when we needed moral clarity, at a time when we needed tough action, we have had anything but. We've had equivocation, we have had weakness and we have had ambivalence. And now is the time—it's not too late—for the government to act. They can agree to our proposal for mandatory minimum sentences and other strong measures to deter whoever is behind these attacks and ensure that, when we catch them, they face very serious consequences.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, the motion has now been circulated, so if you'd like to move—

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move the amendment:

At the end of the motion, add:

(d) calls on the Government to support:

(i) strengthening the penalties for those who urge or threaten attacks against places of worship,

(ii) strengthening the sentencing regime for terrorism by legislating for a mandatory minimum term of 6 years' imprisonment for all acts of terrorism under Commonwealth law, and

(iii) the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences of 12 months' imprisonment for the display of prohibited antisemitic and terrorist organisation symbols and related behaviour in public, and increase the maximum penalty to 5 years' prison.

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I speak in support of the motion. I just want, from the outset, to remind everybody in the chamber of this. I know that we all shared that desperate feeling in our guts and our hearts and our minds when we saw those horrific attacks occurring across the country. One parent from Mount Sinai College in Maroubra said, after the attack had occurred:

Today we have to walk our children into school knowing that people hate us and hate the children enough to create that kind of fear.

She said:

It's a horrible environment in what should be a beautiful day of my kids starting school and enjoying seeing their friends again.

She went on to say:

I think the fact that these things can still happen over and over and over again is scary given how much effort is going into this but I always think obviously there's more that can be done.

Eleven arrests have occurred so far. The police and also the Australian Federal Police have carried out work. Of course, as many of us are aware, and as has been briefly mentioned, ASIO is investigating matters associated with these horrific attacks. At this time, with these examples of horrific attacks, and now, with Senator Lambie's resolution, the proposition is put forward that now is the time for us to say unequivocally that we stand together as one voice in this Senate. Yes, there's a time to have politics and there's a time to question arrangements and question the latitude and the appropriateness of actions and responses.

The 11 arrests demonstrate the response that has occurred. They also demonstrate to the community out there that is fearful and worried that the Australian public are on your side. The Australian police are on your side. The police services across the states in this country are on your side. They're against the minority voice that has a minority view about making sure there's fear and loathing in this community.

It's paramount on everybody in this chamber to make sure they don't feed that paranoia and fear but realise the real challenges that we have in our community. Sandy Hollis, Head of Education for Sydney Jewish Museum, said of antisemitism:

From misogyny, homophobia, Islamophobia, I think it's all part and parcel of the same problem.

As the head of the Islamic Council of New South Wales said so passionately in December:

We totally sympathise and show solidarity with the Jewish community. Anti-Semitism is not acceptable, we will not see it rise or become normalised the way Islamophobia has become normalised. We think we're better off when we support one another.

That's what this resolution is about. Yes, there are opportunities for people to play election politics, but there's an opportunity for Australia to come together and for this chamber to come together. And, to the credit of those on my right, this is the opportunity they've taken up.

I say to those across the chamber: don't lose this opportunity. Don't feed the fear and desperation that is being peddled by these people that are intimidating the Australian community and Jewish people in the community. Call it out for what it is. It is horrific. And call out something else even more powerful—that we all stand together against the nature, aspiration and desire of those who want to do evil in this country. We are opposed as a community and in the Senate against their aspirations because we know they are wrong and fundamentally evil.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to add the National Party and another voice from the coalition to the stand against antisemitism. Those listening in the gallery and at home would be shocked to hear the contributions around this chamber. If you had been here and listened in for the last 16 months to the contributions, particularly from government senators and from the Greens, you would have heard a very different tone. They could not say the word 'antisemitism' without saying 'Islamophobia'. Somehow it's going to be politicisation of this debate for me to even say that and acknowledge that fact here in the Australian Senate, but that is absolutely what is happening.

I have said time and time again, as have people from the Australian Jewish community, that the Holocaust did not start with gas chambers or Jews in cattle trucks during the Second World War in Germany. It started with antisemitism becoming normalised on the streets of Berlin and other places throughout that country as they headed into World War II. That's what happened. It became normalised. Post October 7 that's exactly what has been happening here, whether it is Jewish kids being told by their gentile friends at school that they can't go to their birthday parties, because they are Jewish; or whether it is Jewish families being told, 'Do not go into the CBD of Melbourne or Sydney, because you and your family, with your yarmulkes on, are not safe in this country.' Do you think I'm making that up? That is exactly what has been happening for 16 months. The Prime Minister's own antisemitism envoy told him before Christmas that antisemitism in this country is organised, systemic and absolutely targeted.

Let's not be surprised or start gaslighting the Australian public that everybody has been on this train since 7 October 2023, because they haven't. There's been a tacit approval—a wink and a nudge. There have been motions moved on the floor of the UN. At every juncture, the opportunity to stand up for the Jewish Australian community, to stand with Israel, our ally, has not been clear. So, if anyone is surprised that people, evil people, in our community, feel that they can somehow get away with it, that's exactly how that's occurred.

Premier Minns, to his credit, has apologised for his lack of swift and strong action after what happened outside the opera house. He has apologised. Has our Prime Minister? No. When our Prime Minister was talking to his government MPs and senators in their first meeting back, following fire-bombings of synagogues and alleged terrorist acts throughout our country over the summer break, was this top of mind? Was it the first thing he talked about to his caucus? Was it in the top 3? No, he didn't even mention it. He didn't even mention it. He can't tell the country when he was briefed on this. He didn't even say it was an issue to his own government MPs. If the Australian Jewish community and those that care about this country and do not, like Senator Lambie, want to see it descend into the types of horrific behaviours that we're seeing, you'd think it would be in the top 5 from the Prime Minister and that this government would be making it very, very clear. But instead they wring their hands and say that antisemitism has no place in modern Australia. It's almost as if it was a talking point.

If you were serious it would be on the National Cabinet agenda, because this is a joint issue between state and federal governments. State police forces have to enact state laws, and this would be something you'd be wanting regular updates from your premiers on, in terms of how they were dealing with this. It is absolutely shameful that it's not on National Cabinet and it's embarrassing globally that this country, which has been welcoming migrants from all around the world with open arms since settlement, is now seen as somewhere unsafe. Post Second World War, we opened our arms to so many of the European Jewish community to provide a safe haven where they could practice their religion. Now, 80 years later, their businesses are being boycotted, and Jewish Australians in workplaces are being bullied and harassed. I'm not making it up. I'm not politicising this. This is simply reporting facts that are occurring in our community. Our kids are terrified to go to school, and there are now actual acts of violence because aggressive protests weekend after weekend after weekend went undealt with.

Stop gaslighting Australians that somehow you are now on board. If anyone's politicising it, I would say it is those who, over summer, had a real come-to-Jesus moment, because your rhetoric is the complete opposite of what it's been in this chamber and in the public sphere for the last 16 months. So, of course, on our side of this chamber we stand against antisemitism. We stand against it strongly, swiftly—from day one—and we would ask that the government step up to the plate, stop with the platitudes and actually give the Australian Jewish community something to hold onto. If you don't want to listen to us, at least listen to your own antisemitism envoy.

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

We have seen a rise in hatred in this country, including antisemitism in the community. This is horrible, and I support this motion. Antisemitism is a form of racism and white supremacy. That's how Nazis saw it and how they justified the Holocaust. They saw the white race as a superior race, and that's how Neo-Nazis see it. I have experienced this personally. In fact, I experience it every day from the Neo-Nazis and continue to experience it. These people see the white race as superior to all other races, whether they are black, brown, Jewish, Muslim or Asian. Of course, we must condemn racism in all its forms. There must be no place for it anywhere in our streets, in our workplaces or in our schools.

I have an amendment to the motion that simply includes the word 'racism' in the motion and wish to move the amendment as circulated in the chamber. Most senators who have spoken have mentioned the issue of racism and antisemitism as a form of racism. My amendment is to reflect this. We know that the Liberal Party struck out 'racism' from that original motion. I don't understand why. Why aren't you calling out the white supremacists and their part in this? This country needs to take all forms of racism more seriously. Believe us; we've been subjected to racism since your boats arrived. For over 200 years we have been dealing with racism, and it's horrible. It's a disease that we can eradicate if we stand together. We've been speaking about this for so long—for decades, centuries, two centuries!

The Liberal Party wants to ignore the racism component. I don't know why. I don't know what your relationship is with white supremacy, but it's totally unprincipled. Antisemitism, for the Liberals, Nationals and others who don't understand, is racism. Why don't you say racism? We must not separate these issues or people who are being discriminated against but recognise white supremacy in all its forms. They are targeting Muslim people, Jewish people, black people and First Peoples. The rise of racism in the last two months has gone through the roof, according to the Human Rights Commissioner.

The antiracism framework in this country is totally unfit for purpose. We need to have a serious look at this. We don't have a human rights bill in this country, so where are people's human rights when it comes to being discriminated against? Where are our human rights? You fellas don't support a human rights bill. Why not? We have a Labor government which continues to oversee the abuse of human rights of people both here and abroad. It's being complicit in multiple genocides. When we normalise racism, violence and war anywhere, we give it permission to rear its ugly head. Yes, it gets used as a political football just like we do in this country when it suits you.

If we don't tackle racism in this country—we see how divided this country is. Sometimes I wonder whether the White Australia policy will come back when you look at the policies and legislation that go through this place. If you want to stamp out antisemitism, you must include racism in all its forms. Why don't you stand up to that and ensure that all of our children going to school and our people going to work don't have to deal with any form of racism? That's what a united country looks like.

I foreshadow that I will be moving that the motion be amended as follows:

That the Senate:

(a) deplores the appalling and unacceptable rise in antisemitism across Australia, including violent attacks on synagogues, schools, homes and childcare centres;

(b) unequivocally condemns antisemitism and racism in all its forms; and

(c) resolves that all parliamentarians will work constructively together to combat the scourge of antisemitism and racism in Australia.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To be clear to the chamber, Senator Paterson's motion will be resolved first when we get to that point.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like my colleagues who have spoken before me today on this side of the chamber, I support this motion and the reason why we are discussing this issue today. The opposition is happy to consider a separate motion condemning racism in all its forms—we all abhor and condemn racism—but the principal motion that we are speaking to today is about anti-Jewish and antisemitic intimidation and violence in this country. Therefore, we support the motion, as amended by Senator Paterson, in its original form. We will not be supporting Senator Thorpe's motion.

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

To put the government's position on both of the amendments on the record: as I understand it, Ms Spender from the other place had sought to have a motion that could unify the parliament and that we could all agree on. As such, we committed to not amend the motion that had been circulated. We will not be supporting Senator Paterson's amendment, because it not only amends the motion but falls outside the motion Ms Spender sought to have passed. There are other places to discuss mandatory minimums, as is appropriate, but we would argue that this motion, as sought by the other place, is not the place for that debate.

Similarly, with respect to Senator Thorpe's amendment, this place has spoken against all forms of racism on a number of occasions that I have been part of and has passed motions that have been put to this chamber for debate. We are very happy to support a motion like that. I would think every senator in this place is against every form, and constantly speaks out about any form, of racism. But this is a specific motion about antisemitism. Ms Spender has sought to have the motion considered in both chambers and, as such, we won't be supporting either amendment.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I won't be supporting either amendment either, because I thought that this little bit of time we had today was to let the Jewish community know, without all these amendments, we have their back. You can go and criticise this side and you can do whatever—that was not the point of this. It's sharing the love with the Jewish community, saying: 'Hey, we are hearing you. And what we have and haven't done doesn't matter. What matters is this: we have your back.' That shouldn't come down to politics. It shouldn't come down to amendments. These people need to be shown the love. They are feeling the hurt and they are feeling the pressure, and, God forbid, their kids don't even want to go to school.

This is not about politics. This is about saying: 'We are here for you. We have your backs. We don't always get this right, but we have you. You are in our sights and we love you. We will do everything we can to protect you and your families.' We don't need amendments here—today is about coming together on something so important, to let them know we all stand as one. That's what this is about. We are all here for you.

To the Jewish community out there, to your kids: we are here and we are doing everything we can to protect you. If that job is not hard enough, we are working with everything we have got to give you those assurances. That is what today is about. I am not going to complicate this. I don't want any division in here. I just want the Jewish community to know that we are there for them.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll just inform the chamber that Senator Lambie was speaking to the amendments, so the debate is not closed.

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank Senator Lambie for bringing this motion in the terms that she did, seeking to unify the chamber and have us join together around a motion that deplores the appalling and unacceptable rise in antisemitism across Australia, including violent attacks on synagogues, schools, homes and childcare centres; that unequivocally condemns antisemitism in all its forms; and resolves that all parliamentarians work constructively together to combat the scourge of antisemitism in Australia. I want to echo and acknowledge the contribution from my colleague Senator Faruqi and those others around this chamber who have asked us to come together to support this, because I thought that was the purpose of this motion.

I want to particularly note the third part of the motion, and we heard Senator Lambie speak to it just then, resolving that all parliamentarians will work constructively together to combat the scourge of antisemitism in Australia. For me, my hometown of Sydney has been particularly attacked—some of those attacks have happened within the stone's throw from where my kids went to school—and each time it has happened we've condemned it in the most unequivocal terms because it has absolutely no place in the country. We should unite and condemn it and oppose it, and we should support law enforcement and others trying to find the culprits to bring them to justice. Of course we should do that.

I thought we might have had it there for a minute—being unified around this motion—and then I saw what the coalition brought. They must have had a strategy meeting to try to work out what they could do to ensure they could get a division on this. Taking this uniting statement, they had a strategy meeting and thought, 'What can we put to this motion that will ensure we get division on it?' And they decided they would do mandatory minimum jail terms, because they must have known the Greens will always oppose mandatory minimum jail terms regardless of the subject matter. Regardless of the horrific nature of the subject matter, we will always oppose mandatory minimum jail terms because they are wrong in principle, because they are deeply wrong in principle. They take away judicial discretion. They take away unjust outcomes. They attack the independence of the judiciary. We were always going to say that, and we were always going to oppose the amendment put forward by the coalition.

They knew it, and that's why they brought it. The coalition also know the Labor Party has a platform commitment opposing mandatory minimum sentences for much the same reason, so they had their strategy meeting and thought, 'How can we take this moment where we could come together and throw some division into the debate?' They chose mandatory minimums and it does them absolutely no credit. I hope they rethink their position and withdraw that amendment in order to try and bring us together on this motion, as Senator Lambie asked. I want indicate that, whether Senator Thorpe's amendment passes or fails, it won't change our position on coming together in support of the motion.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the question is that the amendment moved by Senator Paterson to Senator Lambie's motion be agreed to.

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

I move the following amendment:

Paragraphs (b) and (c), after "antisemitism", insert "and racism".

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is now that the amendment as moved by Senator Thorpe be agreed to.

Question negatived.

Original question agreed to.