Thursday, 1 August 2024

Community safety

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (19:01): (1033) My matter for the adjournment tonight is for the attention of the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and perhaps the Attorney-General –

Harriet Shing interjected.

David DAVIS: It is probably better directed to the Attorney-General. It relates to the extraordinary incident that occurred at Officeworks in recent times and has come to public prominence of a Jewish customer being refused service on the basis of their Jewishness. This is clearly extraordinary and antisemitic –

A member interjected.

David DAVIS: Elsternwick – a dreadful, dreadful thing. I am not going to dignify it with some of the words that were said, but clearly a store manager, a relatively senior person, decided they would not serve a Jewish person at Elsternwick.

Harriet Shing interjected.

David DAVIS: Yes, Elsternwick. This customer went into the store to have some laminating done. This is a very mild request; you would think this would be easily undertaken. It turns out that the manager in question has taken a set or a turn against the Jewish community and decided that they would not process this laminating for a Jewish person in the Elsternwick Officeworks store.

I think we are reaching a new and extraordinary level here where nasty antisemitic activities are occurring. We have seen shocking things occur with a wall at Mount Scopus and the occasions where there have been attacks on the electorate offices – indeed of some Labor MPs. There have been a range of other demonstrations on campuses and out the front here. It is my view that the government has been too weak on a lot of these points. I do not believe the government has actually stood up in the way it should, and I think that this is now getting way, way, way out of hand. We need very, very clear statements. I mean, we heard what Minister Tierney said in the chamber with respect to questions on if she would intervene with respect to the antisemitic approach to Jewish students on campuses, and she would not lift a finger. That is just one subset of this. Clearly there is an international situation occurring, but we are now seeing real disturbance to the social harmony in Victoria.

Maybe this is a matter for the Premier too, but the Attorney-General has responsibility for some of the acts that are appropriate here, and in this circumstance I would encourage the Attorney-General to make very clear statements immediately and to look at what legal aspects can be implemented. Anti-discrimination law may provide some significant assistance here, but she should act and make sure it is promulgated.