Northern Metropolitan Region
Samantha RATNAM (Northern Metropolitan) (14:04): (768) My constituency question is to the Premier. The Hume for Palestine group has been organising community pickets at Heat Treatment Australia in Campbellfield. I commend them for their ongoing efforts to halt the production of parts used in the F-35 bomber plane, which is deployed extensively by Israeli defence forces. This aircraft is being used to indiscriminately bomb large swathes of Gaza. It is directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Palestinian people, and its production is made possible by manufacturing happening right here in Victoria, at HTA in my electorate. In the Netherlands it is now illegal to supply F-35 parts to Israel as they are being used in ‘serious violations of international humanitarian law’. If Victoria continues to allow the production of these parts, then aren’t we complicit in these violations too? The community is fighting to stop the production of F-35 parts, and the government must do their part. Premier, what are you doing to ensure HTA and similar manufacturing companies are obliged to adhere to morally ethical guidelines?