It is again deeply disappointing that the government has refused to consider this important policy motion. I shouldn’t be surprised, because this is the mob that wanted to relocate the Australian embassy to Jerusalem in a desperate bid to chase a few votes for a by-election victory.
Full speech
Senator DI NATALE (Victoria) (16:09): I ask that notice of motion No. 421, standing in my name for today, relating to the peace proposal for Israel and Palestine, be taken as a formal motion.
The PRESIDENT: Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal? There is, so formality has been denied.
Senator DI NATALE: In lieu of a suspension, I seek leave to make a short statement.
The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute.
Senator DI NATALE: It is again deeply disappointing that the government has refused to consider this important policy motion. I shouldn’t be surprised, because this is the mob that wanted to relocate the Australian embassy to Jerusalem in a desperate bid to chase a few votes for a by-election victory. That backfired and backfired spectacularly.
This is not a peace proposal; this is anything but. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on. It’s a direct copy-and-paste of the PR manual of the Israeli Prime Minister, the man who is up on corruption charges. It reflects all of the Israeli government’s arse. It rewards the theft of Palestinian land by rewarding illegal settlement activity. In this proposal, any Palestinian self-determination is contingent upon so many unrealistic demands. Australia should speak up against Trump’s unfair and damaging plan, which is an enemy to— (Time expired)