Middle East conflict
Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:27): My question is to the Premier. People around the world are watching in horror what is unfolding in Gaza right now, a humanitarian catastrophe that is really on a scale that is just unfathomable. Australia has allowed a very small number of people from Gaza who are fleeing the war to come to our country for safety. Some of those have made their way here to Victoria, but most have not been granted refugee status, which means they are not eligible for things like housing, material aid or even work rights to support themselves. Most are on restrictive bridging visas, so they are relying on the generosity of their neighbours for even basic things like food to survive. Premier, will the Victorian government step in and provide some urgent and direct funding to asylum seeker organisations so that these Palestinians in Victoria who are fleeing for their lives can access things like food?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:28): I thank the member for Melbourne for both her question and her presentation of the issue in this place. I think it carries the appropriate tone to consider these matters in this place. The member for Melbourne has rightly in her question identified the role of the federal government in terms of the settlement of refugees and the granting of refugee status for people. I think we should be clear that it will not just be people restricted to the geographic area of Gaza that may be seeking assistance from other countries, it will also be the broader region as well given the widespread nature of the conflict that the world is witnessing across that part of the Middle East.
In terms of what support we would provide for people choosing Melbourne and Victoria to settle in in the context of both this conflict and the humanitarian crisis, we will of course support the work of the federal government, as we have done in the past with other communities who have experienced conflict in parts of the world that may be a long way from here. They know that if they come here they will receive support and they will receive care and love as well given the horrific experiences they will be leaving behind.
I will seek some advice from the federal government in terms of what their arrangements may be and how we can provide support to families and individuals who may be coming here under significant distress but also do that in the context of the way we have provided ongoing support to communities that are here. Should there be people choosing to come to Melbourne or Victoria, they will be coming into the arms of people who are also grieving with them, and it is incumbent upon us to ensure, whether it is members of our Jewish community or members of our Islamic community, that we provide them with support.
Indeed I want to acknowledge the work of the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and the Deputy Premier, who have been working to provide practical additional support since the terrorist invasion on 7 October to those communities. I again urge all of us, but particularly the member for Melbourne and her colleagues, to maintain that frame in contributing to this public conversation. It is incumbent upon all of us to take a leadership position and remember that language and actions are important and that that is the best way that we can show support to communities who are suffering and grieving.
Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:31): Thank you, Premier. The Premier mentioned that it is the federal government’s responsibility primarily, but in 2019 when a group of asylum seekers from offshore detention centres were in Victoria for medical care – they were known as the Medivac refugees – the state government stepped in to provide direct funding for food and housing to asylum seeker organisations to plug a gap where the federal government had failed. Groups are telling us that they are in desperate need of this funding again to support these refugees. Will the Premier meet with the Muslim Women’s Council of Victoria to directly hear from them about their funding asks and then provide that funding to those groups?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:32): I indicated this in my earlier answer, and it has been emphasised by the member for Melbourne, who has given an example of exactly the sort of practical support we can provide. As I said in my earlier answer, I will seek some further advice from Victorian government agencies but also the federal government on what support may be required. If the member could provide information from the organisation she referred to, I anticipate that the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and the Deputy Premier may have already had some engagement with that group. Again, I cannot emphasise strongly enough how critically important it is that we support communities that we all care about, which we all are acutely aware are grieving and are suffering, and make sure that our actions do not add to that distress and concern. It is absolutely in that frame that we will continue to provide support to local communities.