Wednesday, 7 February 2024

Middle East conflict

Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (14:28): My question is for the Premier. The Victorian Labor government has entered into a secretive agreement with the Israeli defence ministry to support the development and manufacturing of military equipment. The Israeli government called it a formal framework that paves the way for industrial defence cooperation between Israel and Victoria, but the details of this agreement remain secret. Premier, Victorians have the right to know what agreements are being entered into in their name by the government. What exactly has the Victorian Labor government agreed to provide for the Israeli defence ministry?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:29): I thank the member for Richmond for her question. Can I at the outset make it very clear that it is not a secret agreement. On the member for Richmond’s characterisation of the memorandum of understanding that has been entered into, it is simply that: a memorandum of understanding. Indeed it is listed on the Australian government’s foreign arrangements scheme public register along with 8000 other cooperative international agreements.

I make this point: we as a state are proud to partner with overseas companies, many of whom have a base here in Victoria. We want to work with overseas companies to support jobs here in Victoria. Particularly when it comes to advanced manufacturing, as a state we have a history of being a strong advanced manufacturing state, particularly in the areas of automotive, transport and, yes, defence technologies. We have a strong record as a state. Those industries support jobs in my electorate, in the member for Benambra’s electorate, in regional areas and also in electorates across the suburbs of Melbourne. We will continue to pursue cooperative agreements with companies that are based around the world. Indeed I have quite the list here of memorandums of understanding that have been signed by the Victorian government with a range of countries: Japan, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Greece, Japan again, Cuba – you might get excited about that; maybe, maybe not. David Davis would be pleased to know we have done a few with France.

I think what we are seeing here from the member for Richmond is her trying to join some dots for her own political purposes that are about driving division in our community. We should be focused on providing unity, cohesion and support to all in our community who are feeling the pain and the hurt from the conflict that is going on in the Middle East. I make the point to the member for Richmond that this MOU was signed before the conflict began on 7 October in the Middle East, and she would do well as a member of this place to provide support to people who are suffering, not cause extra division.

Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (14:32): To be honest, I am reeling. I am really trying to get my head around how the Premier is suggesting that Victorian commerce is more important than our obligations under international law in the context of a potential genocide. I appreciate the Premier is trying to downplay our involvement as a state in the potential genocide that Israel is carrying out in Palestine, but right now an estimated 100,000 Palestinians are either killed, wounded or missing at the hands of the Israeli military. The ICJ ruling has made it very clear that all governments have a duty to prevent genocide in Palestine. In light of this ruling and the risk of Victoria being complicit in genocide through this agreement, will the Premier cancel Labor’s deal with the Israeli Ministry of Defense?

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, I ask that you rule the supplementary question out of order. As difficult as it was to hear, it was a statement made by the member and it was hard to ascertain a question that bore any relevance to the substantive question.

James Newbury: On the point of order, Speaker, can I concur with the Leader of the House. Imputations and, frankly, antisemitic tones are unparliamentary, and that is what it was. It is offensive, and I would ask you to rule that question out of order.

Ellen Sandell: On the point of order, Speaker, there was a very clearly articulated question at the end. If the opposite side would have perhaps given the member for Richmond the courtesy of listening to it, it was a very clear question posed at the end. I ask you to rule it in order.

The SPEAKER: There was a long introduction to the final question that the member for Richmond asked. I appreciate that that was probably not necessary, but she did land on a question at the end. The question can be repeated – the question only.

Gabrielle DE VIETRI: In light of the ICJ ruling and the risk of being complicit in genocide through this agreement, will the Premier cancel Labor’s deal with the Israeli Ministry of Defense?

The SPEAKER: The member for Richmond has changed the words to her question. I believe that the first question you asked was: will the Premier rule out Labor’s deal with the Israeli Ministry of Defense? I will allow the question.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:35): Can I say in answer to the member for Richmond’s question she has, firstly, either misrepresented or misunderstood the ICJ ruling around what they did and did not say about the situation around genocide in the Middle East, so the member for Richmond needs to not misrepresent international incidents for her own political purposes. Let me be absolutely clear: our role in this place is to provide support for people in our community who are hurting. The member for Richmond yesterday was pretty quick to talk about a safe workplace and how she feels in this workplace. Well, have a think about people in our community who look to us for leadership and who look to us to provide safe and secure communities and not use words and actions like the member for Richmond has done to further divide, because that is all you achieve from this sort of behaviour.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. I am on my feet. The member for Narre Warren North can leave the chamber for half an hour. The members for Prahran, Brunswick, Melbourne and Richmond can leave the chamber for 90 minutes. The member for Eureka can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Members for Narre Warren North, Prahran, Brunswick, Melbourne, Richmond and Eureka withdrew from chamber.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, I again put on the record that the coalition is willing and wanting to work with the government on this ongoing behaviour from Greens members in this place. It is frankly outrageous. Any action that can be taken should be taken. Kicking a member out for 90 minutes for this ongoing behaviour – for shutting down our Parliament, for shutting down our Council or our Assembly in this way – is not just causing division in our community but hurting people. I would say to the government: can we work together to take strong action to show that these members cannot use this place in the way that they are?

Jacinta Allan: On the point of order, Speaker – I appreciate this may be a little unprecedented in agreeing with the member for Brighton – in my answer earlier I referenced the member for Richmond’s comments that she made yesterday about all of us having the right to a safe and respectful workplace. We all do. There is the hurly-burly and the slings and arrows of words and exchanges in this place, but we all deserve the right, whether it is those of us who are elected or those of us who are staff and work for us in these roles, to a safe workplace. We have seen a repeated pattern of behaviour from the member for Richmond, who signed in visitors who disrupted Parliament during question time, which – certainly I can only speak for myself – made me feel unsafe, and it impacts on our staff as well. This is a repeated pattern of behaviour, and quite frankly the Victorian community deserves better than this. Whether you are, as the member for Caulfield does and the member for Box Hill does, supporting the Jewish community, which is grieving, or whether, as many others also do, you support the Palestinian community and those from our broader Islamic community, no-one – neither of those communities – deserves this sort of behaviour that we have seen today. I condemn that behaviour today. It is unparliamentary, but worse than that, it is disrespectful to the Victorian community and particularly those communities – the Jewish and the Islamic communities – who are grieving for the death and the loss of their families and loved ones.

The SPEAKER: I would just like to make a quick ruling. I have removed the Greens party members from the chamber today for 90 minutes. I propose to meet with those four members after I have finished in the chair today. I will be seeking an apology. If I do not receive that apology, there will be further matters to proceed with. I ask the Leader of the Opposition to be very brief on this matter.

John Pesutto: Thank you, Speaker. I would echo what others have said in this sequence of discussions. Can I say that it is clear that what was done today was not only an affront to the decorum of this place, which we attend on behalf of the Victorian people, but premeditated. Obviously coming in here with signs they knew what they were intending to do. They knew and intended to cause mayhem. It is not the first time, as others have said. Can I respectfully suggest, Speaker – we fully endorse your proposed action – that we seek from the Greens members also an undertaking that they will not repeat it or anything like it. We cannot allow, in my view, any erosion of the standards that the Victorian people are entitled to expect from all of us in this place. There is a place for free speech, but that was not it. That was not free speech. That was a match to a very delicate situation, and they intended to do that coming in here with the signs that they possessed.

The SPEAKER: I think I have heard enough today on this matter, and I have ruled.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, in consideration of what you have done, can you please also note that there were two in the gallery who took photos – to the PSOs, thank you very much for your actions – so during that investigation can you find out who signed them in for that premeditated action for the record as well?

The SPEAKER: Member for Berwick, those matters will be followed up with security.