Thursday, 19 June 2025

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:06): (958) My question is to Minister Stitt, the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Sheikh Abu Hamza, also known as Samir Mohtadi, is the leader of an organisation called MyCentre. MyCentre has received funding from your government as well as frequent visits from Labor ministers, including I think you. Mr Mohtadi recently called our Jewish community ‘bloodsucking humans’ and ‘scavengers’ and called on Allah to ‘cast terror into the hearts of the Zionists’. He also claimed that Islam was at war with Australia. Minister, will your government be reviewing multicultural support to this organisation and/or its associated entities?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:07): I thank Mr Davis for that question. I got a similar line of questions at my recent PAEC hearing appearance, and I indicated at that time that I would be taking the specific questions around specific grants to individual organisations on notice. And I will be providing a written response to PAEC in accordance with their requirements, but it is important to note that the multicultural affairs portfolio issues hundreds and hundreds of grants every year, which is important because it is about recognising the incredible work that our multicultural community organisations do right across the state. I am not going to be drawn, Mr Davis, on what you are saying about individual organisations. I would caution you to be quite careful about your understanding about what organisations individuals are associated with or not, so I would caution you against doing that.

What I will say is that our government has actually led the debate about how important social cohesion is in this state. That is why our government has commissioned George Lekakis to conduct a review into our multicultural settings, including a requirement in the future for organisations that are applying for government funding to agree to a social cohesion pledge. I have asked Mr Lekakis to consult closely with a number of different community organisations across the multicultural and diverse communities that we have here in Victoria to give us advice about the nature of that pledge. But what I would say is that I expect, and my department works very closely to ensure, that anybody who applies for government funding through the multicultural affairs portfolio, whatever grant stream that might be, adheres closely and in accordance –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Both sides of the chamber.

Ingrid STITT: What I was attempting to point out to Mr Davis is that any organisation applying for government funding in the multicultural affairs portfolio is required to adhere strictly to the guidelines for whatever grant stream they are applying for, and my very strong expectation is that any organisation in receipt of government funding does the right thing.

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:10): What was notable about that was the minister’s failure to engage with the details of this particular case and this particular question. I think it speaks volumes of the government’s failure to look at social harmony by not engaging with this. I thereby want to ask: in November 2022 Labor MPs the Honourable Enver Erdogan, Iwan Walters and Kathleen Matthews-Ward announced AMF, in partnership with MyCentre support services, would receive $250,000. Can you confirm if this funding has been remitted, and if not, will the partnership be reviewed given the horrific comments of Sheikh Abu Hamza?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:11): Again, Mr Davis is conflating a number of organisations and individuals in the way he frames his questions. I have already taken these matters on notice, at my PAEC hearing. I will be providing a written response to PAEC in accordance with the timeframes that they have set out. I invite Mr Davis, through the members opposite who are on PAEC, to carefully read my written response when I provide it.

David Davis: On a point of order, President, it is not satisfactory for a minister in this chamber to try and flick a response off to a PAEC circumstance. The minister should answer the question here today or provide a written response within a day.

The PRESIDENT: I took from the minister’s substantive answer – and she also relied on her substantive answer in the supplementary question – that there were reasons why she would not answer this question, so I take that as being answered.

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:12): I move:

That the minister’s answer, or non-answer, be taken into account on the next day of meeting.

The PRESIDENT: I cannot put that question.

David DAVIS: I move:

That the minister’s response be taken into account on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.