Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Community safety

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (14:08): (970) My question is to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Minister, on Sunday a shocking demonstration moved across the city to the NGV while shouting what can only be regarded as racist chants designed to vilify members of the Victorian Jewish community, including donors to the national gallery. Minister, in your role as Minister for Multicultural Affairs you have been unprepared to condemn these racist chants that explicitly targeted prominent Jewish community members. I therefore ask: Minister, are you an antisemite or a tepid apologist?

Sonja Terpstra: On a point of order, President, if Mr Davis wants to make an accusation about a member in this place, then he should do so by substantive motion. I also point out that Mr Davis is yet again aggressively pointing in this chamber and raising his voice in an aggressive manner, and I would ask that that behaviour stop.

The PRESIDENT: I uphold the point of order. I did not witness Mr Davis pointing, but I would remind people it is unparliamentary to point across the chamber. Mr Davis, I am not going to put that question. You will have to rephrase it for the question to be put.

David DAVIS: I ask the minister therefore: are you a tepid apologist who refuses to speak plainly about what is a direct threat to harmony in our multicultural community?

The PRESIDENT: It is another imputation. Making an accusation of that type about a sitting member needs to be done in a substantive motion. I do not know if you get a third go. We will move on. Minister Stitt has got a ministers statement.