Wednesday, 4 March 2026

 Ryan BATCHELOR (Southern Metropolitan) (09:55): I just want to mention two significant things we did last week in the local community. First, I was very pleased to attend the local government forum on antisemitism and social cohesion hosted at the Glen Eira town hall by the City of Glen Eira and the City of Port Phillip. We heard from a range of leading voices, including Jillian Segal, the special envoy on antisemitism, experts from Monash University and organisations such as Courage to Care Victoria and the Jewish Community Council of Victoria. It was a forthright discussion at times but a very constructive one, reiterating that there is no place for antisemitism in our community and that we cannot stand for hate and division. The Victorian government always stands with our multicultural groups. We are proud of who they are and celebrate their culture. That is why last year we passed groundbreaking laws to criminalise hate speech in this state, and we will continue to support them.