Press conference - Sydney

TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Thank you for coming today. And I want to acknowledge that we're meeting on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and say how grateful the Prime Minister is and how grateful Allegra and I are to be greeted today by Mark and Egon and Ernie, three survivors of the Holocaust who shared their history and their experiences with us. Thank you again for that generosity. Greg Shand, the President of this museum, Kevin Sumption, the CEO, Robert Goot, the immediate past president of ECAJ, Allegra Spender, as I acknowledged, Jillian Segal and most importantly, all of the community leaders who are here today. We're in the electorate of Sydney, this will soon be in the electorate of Wentworth.

It's my privilege as local member to welcome the Prime Minister to this magnificent museum. Colin Tatz did a lot of his research in this museum, and it was Colin Tatz who said, he attacked the idea that antisemitism arrived with Hitler from outer space in 1933. He said that was never true, the poison of antisemitism was spread by people. It was entrenched by institutions, it was enacted by communities. It could be traced backwards to actual decisions and actual causes. And as Colin wrote, he said this was a human event in history. It happened, it was done by people, so it must be explicable and he spent his life trying to explain it. That's the role that museums like this can play to examine our history and to build a better future. Paul Johnson said in his History of the Jews that it was the Jews that promoted love as the foundation of justice. And that's the other thing that museums like this give us the opportunity of doing, building stronger bonds between us as human beings. Thank you, Prime Minister, for being here today.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks very much. I want to join with you particularly in thanking Mark, Egon and Ernie, who we had the opportunity to talk with before. Every time I've come to this museum it's an opportunity for young Australians to talk directly to Holocaust survivors and to understand, therefore, that antisemitism has consequences. More than two decades ago I was part of a campaign against BDS in my own local government area. At the time I argued that if you start targeting businesses because they happen to be owned by Jewish people, you'll end up with the Star of David above shops. And that ended in World War II, during the Holocaust, with 6 million lives lost, murdered. We need an end to antisemitism. It is evil. It diminishes us as a nation when we have events such as we saw here again overnight. To awake to this latest attack, just a matter of a couple of kilometres from here in Woollahra, and to see since then as well, there's been graffiti somewhere in Sydney as well - that is completely abhorrent to who we are as Australians. Holocaust survivors came to Australia because we are a tolerant country. We're one in which our whole Australian society is enriched by people living side by side of different faiths, different ethnicities, different backgrounds. And we need a whole of government, but whole of society as well, effort to make sure this is stamped out. This museum plays an important role. This plays a role in education for everyone who comes here to be able to learn of the history, particularly of the Holocaust. This morning I was briefed early by AFP Commissioner Kershaw. I've also spoken today with Premier Chris Minns. And I know that Allegra Spender, when I was talking with her earlier today, was having a meeting with the Police Minister here, Yasmin Catley here in Sydney. I unequivocally condemn these shameful acts of violence aimed at the Jewish community. They are acts which are aimed at promoting fear in the community. And that, by any definition, is what terrorism is about. And we need to make sure that we learn the lessons of history which this museum shows us, and to say never again. But also to work across the board. I met with Jillian Segal, our wonderful, where I announced here in fact a few months ago, Jillian's appointment as antisemitism envoy. Jillian, one of her first acts was to go to South America to a conference that was held of Antisemitism Envoys around the world. And Jillian will be going to Auschwitz in February, very end of January, where there'll be another gathering of Antisemitism Envoys. Jillian representing Australia, the Australian government there as our envoy. Tragically that of course commemorating 80 years since 1945. There, one of the things that has been done there is to declare that the fight against antisemitism needs to be bipartisan, needs to be across the board. So in this time of grief and pain, we must all work together to heed the lessons of the past, but also education, of course, plays a role. Today I'm announcing on behalf of the government $8.5 million to redevelop the Sydney Jewish Museum. This is funding that has been agreed previously through our budget process and is included in MYEFO - the mid-year economic forecast that will come down next week. This isn't a promise, this is funding that is there in the budget over the next two years. More than 55,000 people visit the museum this year, including around 35,000 high school students. And I want those young people to know this history, but also with this funding, what will occur is able to provide education about Jewish culture and to get greater understanding of the contribution as well that Jewish Australians have made to our great country. I did an interview this morning on Radio National where I was asked a question where someone apparently rang in or texted and said, 'Oh this wasn't a targeting of Jews, this was a targeting, this was about Israel'. I make this point, this is about Jewish Australians. This does, whatever cause people are purporting to promote, it has nothing to do with that. It's just an antisemitic attack against Jewish Australians is what occurred here. Just like when I visited the Adass Synagogue yesterday, and I thank very much the president of that synagogue as well, Mr. Spiegelman, who welcomed me into his home. We have two Spiegelmans, I've met the members of the family across the last two days, and his family welcomed me very generously and we had a wonderful discussion with the school principal and with community leaders there as well. That disgraceful act of burning of a synagogue sent shivers down the spine of all Australians. We're a tolerant country. We're a country that is based upon respect for each other. And we will work with all of the authorities to make sure the perpetrators of these crimes, which is what they are, are brought to justice. I'll now turn to the new or future local member here, Allegra Spender. This is currently in Sydney, will be in Wentworth after the next election, before we're happy to take some questions.

ALLEGRA SPENDER, MEMBER FOR WENTWORTH: Thank you. Thank you for those remarks and I thank you very much for the announcement today. I think this is really critical. I was out in Woollahra this morning outside where there were those attacks and you know, talking to one of our local rabbis and he laid out I think very clearly, he was asked what to do and he said, 'look, in the short term it's security, but in the long term it's education and actually people getting to know each other'. And I think that is why this museum is so critical, because many Australians do not know many Jewish Australians. When you walk in the doors here in the Jewish Museum, you see the list of people, of Jewish Australians who have died in our wars. You see that was opened by John Monash, one of the great people from the defence forces, a proud Jewish Australian. You recognise the contribution of the Jewish community to our country, but which is not necessarily well understood by everybody. You know, the attack today in Woollahra, you know, on the heels of what happened, which was tragic, in Melbourne and one I never believed I would see, and then coming on the back of a previous attack in Woollahra, it's devastating to this community. It's absolutely heartbreaking because it is intended to send fear into the community. But when I talk to my broader community and every Australian I've spoken to they say, you know what? That is not us. You know, we do not tolerate this sort of behaviour. And I think that has to be the message to the country is we will not tolerate this sort of intimidation of Australians in their homes, in their community. It is not what is appropriate. It's just not on. I run community forums with students every quarter and in the last two terms I've had students from all my different schools, all different faiths and backgrounds. In the last two sessions I had one student talk about the fact that he was walking down the street with his Jewish day school jacket on, someone drove, slowed down next to him and his friends and did a Heil Hitler sign from the car and swore at the Jews, and he was scared. I had another young woman ask, is she welcome in our universities? And that was her question. And the truth is, she is. These are some extremist people who were behaving like this, but I know that the country does not feel this way and feels very, very strongly that the Jewish community is an important and proud part of our country. And we are a proud, multicultural country and we will continue to be that. So just finally to come back to this museum, congratulations to everybody who's been part of this. This is a wonderful institution and what makes it special is it humanises the Holocaust. It humanises the thousands of people and millions of people who died and it tells that human story. And it is that human connection we need to get back to, because it is that human kindness and community that really is what makes Australia special. And this helps us all understand it here today. So thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Allegra. I want to acknowledge Senator Deb O'Neill, who's here as well. Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, has the level of antisemitism that we're seeing now in the community, has that reached a level which you would say is at a crisis level?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is quite horrific. It is something that is, I think, quite shocking. The fact that you've had two incidents here, the incidents in Melbourne. I went inside where the fire has hit the Adass Synagogue there, and visiting there with people who have committed their lives to building that synagogue, giving funds, giving support, the damage to the Torah that has been done is something that is just not what you would expect in a country like Australia, which as Allegra has said, overwhelmingly, it's really important to emphasise that overwhelmingly we're a country that's enriched by our multiculturalism. And the Jewish community have been such strong advocates of that. Whether it be defending the Racial Discrimination Act, the work done on Indigenous rights in this country. If you look at human rights, the Jewish community in Australia have not just stood up for themselves, they stood up for others. And I think that what we're seeing needs to be a very clear message that it's completely unacceptable. It needs to stop. And people who are the perpetrators of these crimes need to be brought to justice.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, have you done enough to quell the tide of antisemitism in this country?

PRIME MINISTER: Well in the weeks following October 7th, the attack, I was on Insiders at 9am the next morning on Sunday. I condemned the attack. I said Israel had a right to defend itself. On the morning of, or during the day of the following Monday, I did radio interviews, called for the demonstration that was held at the Opera House to not go ahead and called that out. We committed $25 million originally for improved safety and security at Jewish sites across the country, including schools. Just on Sunday, we committed a further $32.5 million to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. The benefit of that is that it is the Jewish community themselves that have that ownership of the process. And I must say, the program that had almost been expended, just 5 per cent was left of the first grant had been expended, which is why we agreed to provide further support. We've appointed Jillian Segal, Australia's first ever Envoy on Antisemitism. Other countries have had envoys for some time. Australia had not had that. We had a landmark ban on the Nazi salute and hate symbols came into effect in January of this year. We legislated to appoint Australia's first National Student Ombudsman. We criminalised doxing just a couple of weeks ago in the Parliament. Now that was not universally supported across the Parliament, and I'm not quite sure why that's the case. But we were called for that and I called that out after people like Deborah Conway and others were targeted, people in the creative community because they were Jewish. And we've legislated through the Privacy Act, led by Mark Dreyfus, my Attorney-General. We stood up Operation Avalite to get cooperation from the Federal police, state police jurisdictions and the ASIO Director-General and other intelligence agencies. And we have legislation before the Parliament now to criminalise hate speech, including the urging or threatening of force or violence against individuals or groups because of who they are or what they believe.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you said the fight against antisemitism has to be bipartisan. There's been quite strong criticisms from some politicians, from some media outlets, some reporting as well, about the Government's response. Does it have an effect on social cohesion and social divisions do you think, or major doubts to be raised about police response, about the government's response to this issue?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think we need to look for unity on this. This is not a time for looking for distinction and for difference. You know, I've seen criticism of someone like Josh Burns. I mean, Josh Burns, when I talked to him, he said to me, I know antisemitism, it's my life. This is a great local representative who had his electorate office firebombed. People live above that office. I've been to that office and it's an incredibly dangerous thing. I think Josh Burns is deserving of total respect and I just say that we need to work together. I understand that politics can interfere in things, but we need to wherever possible look for unity. And if there's an area that's looking for unity, I don't doubt that, you know, people across the spectrum, I would hope, are horrified by these events, as I think overwhelmingly Australians are.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, in light of what we've seen here in Sydney in Woollahra and Melbourne, given we're here at the Sydney Jewish Museum INAUDIBLE Holocaust. Bring it to the political INAUDIBLE the Greens announced a candidate at Blaxland yesterday who said alleging, who said Zionists are - Zionist Jews are angry Karens, alleging they invoke the Holocaust to deflect criticism. Given those comments, given everything we've seen over last week, will you rule out any sort of preference deal with the Greens?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I haven't seen those comments, but preference arrangements are made, of course, by the organisational wing. I make this point - that I seek to govern in my own right. Anyone who knows anything about the electorate of Grayndler and has watched what I've done over now 28 years, knows that I stand by myself and am regularly attacked by the Greens political party who've had two of their senators speak at, what I think was an outrageous demonstration which was stopping people getting into my electorate office to receive help about social security, about Medicare, about migration. And yet you had Senators Faruqi and Shoebridge, as well as State Greens MPs and Greens councillors be a part of that. I'll call out. I'm in the Labor Party for a reason.

JOURNALIST: You talk to people here, even just today, that they're not feeling safe, they're fearful in their community. Now you come bringing money. I'm sure that's appreciated, but they're insisting that more needs to be done at the ground level with police on the streets. I know it's outside your area, it's New South Wales, but do you need to twist arms to get more police on the beat to make these people feel safe?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm concerned about any Australian not feeling safe. People have a right to feel safe and secure in this great country. Jillian and I met yesterday morning in Parliament House in Canberra, where we talked about other things that could be done. We have set up this joint task force which is aimed at antisemitism and getting that jurisdictional work across areas. I mean, I was somewhat frustrated, frankly, at the time it took to take action against people outside my office, because I regarded that with the signs which were there, many of which were antisemitic. They had the Hamas target symbols painted onto the electorate office of a Prime Minister. I don't take that personally. I see that as an attack on Australia, on Australian values. That's what it's aimed at doing. And the fear, last night's activities - to firebomb a car where no one is there is aimed at creating fear. Graffiti is aimed at creating fear. And it is cowardly and it is prejudiced. And I think that one of the things that certainly I've made clear, and I know that Premier Minns has made clear as well with regard to New South Wales police, is that where there are laws in place, they need to be reinforced, they need to be acted upon.

JOURNALIST: There are reports of leaked audio of you at an event in Lilyfield last night that there will be, or indicating there will be, changes to Australia's position on Israel-Palestine and this will upset critics. Can you confirm if this is one true and if so what those changes will be?

PRIME MINISTER: There's no change to Australia's position. Australia's position is we support a two state solution. I said that last night. The right of Israel to exist in secure borders. I also have been a long term supporter of Palestinian state and I think though very clearly that cannot involve Hamas. It cannot involve - it needs to ensure that all of the hostages need to be released. There's no role for Hamas in any future Palestinian state. But over a period of time along with a range of other countries, the United States has been attempting to advance the issue of a long term solution that would involve the engagement of states in the region as well, all recognising Israel. Would involve Israel being confident of being able to continue to exist in security which is necessary. That's a position that I've held for a long period of time and that's a position that the Labor Party holds.

JOURNALIST: Are you ruling out a change of position though at tomorrow's UN vote?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm not sure what tomorrow's UN vote is. There are UN votes all the time but we'll vote consistent with Australia's position. There was a UN vote I can comment on, a couple of weeks ago that caused some controversy. We were one of 157 countries who voted for that resolution including four of the Five Eyes countries - Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. Including our major partners, Japan, Korea, France, Germany, Italy. That was consistent as well, it must be said, with the position the exact same resolution that the Howard Government voted for on a number of occasions. Australia - that is my Government's position. I have been in public life for a long time. I am on the record for a long time as being a supporter of the state of Israel. But I also support Palestinians having a right to have their legitimate aspirations fulfilled. It has to be done in a way that provides security for everyone in the region. That is my position. That's a position overwhelmingly of countries in the United Nations as well and that's also something that the Biden Administration has been working very hard on.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Jewish leaders in the community, have welcomed the (inaudible) response by your government and the state Labor government. Some in the community believe that your Foreign Minister's language on Israel has contributed to people thinking it's okay to hate Israel. Which of course is linked to that. What do you make of that?

PRIME MINISTER: Penny Wong knows about racism. You know, this is someone who understands very firsthand the damage that racism can cause. Penny Wong is someone who's a principled person, someone who I think has been an outstanding Foreign Minister and someone who I think will continue to be. Australia has repaired our relations with great parts of the world, including particularly in our region where we have concentrated. Australia doesn't have a big role in the Middle East. We do have a big role in the Pacific. We'll have an announcement tomorrow that's a significant announcement in the Pacific and in ASEAN in our region. And that very much has been something where Penny Wong, I think, has played an outstanding role.

JOURNALIST: But do you see a link between the signals Australia sends on the international stage with domestic tensions in the community?

PRIME MINISTER: Look, 157 countries voted for that resolution. The countries that didn't, voted against it, were Israel, the United States, Hungary, Argentina and some states that are very much connected with the United States - Palau, Micronesia. And it's up to countries, of course, have - every country has a sovereign right to determine its vote. But Australia's vote is consistent with - Australia has for a long period of time had a bipartisan position of support for two states. That is something that obviously needs, you know, it's not a, not a blank. It is something that cannot involve and I've said as Prime Minister, as has Penny Wong said as Foreign Minister, that cannot involve Hamas. That needs to involve security for the state of Israel as well as justice for Palestinians.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, if you had your time again, do you think you could have done more or responded quickly after the events on Friday morning at Adass Israel Synagogue?

PRIME MINISTER: On Friday morning, very early, I got a briefing of the AFP Commissioner. I spoke with Jillian Segal. I spoke with the President of the Adass Synagogue. I rang in to Raff Epstein while in the air, Melbourne Radio ABC. We immediately - I engaged with everyone over the weekend, from Peter Wertheim to a range of people in the community. On Saturday, I visited a synagogue, went to my first bar mitzvah there in Perth at the invitation which was received by the Premier of Western Australia on Friday, Friday afternoon, Roger Cook, at the invitation of the President of the synagogue community. There was a criticism, I've seen, that we didn't go with media. It was Shabbat. Out of respect for the Jewish faith there weren't electronics, we didn't take photos. That was out of respect for that. Amie Frydenberg was there at the very same event on Saturday. On Saturday afternoon, I received a request from the Jewish Board of Deputies, on Sunday morning at around about 9:30am, by then we had approved - spoken with the Treasurer, the Finance Minister - we had gone through processes to approve $32.5 million of additional security and safety funding. We acted expeditiously. On Monday, we had the National Security Committee to hear a briefing and, you know, I know more about the events there. I mean, the security agencies do their work and police need to be able to do their work there. On Monday, on Monday, according to the protocols, not protocols established by my Government, but protocols that have been in place for some time. The Victorian Police declared it a terrorism event and then the Commonwealth did formally as well. But I made it clear when I was first asked that I regarded it on a personal level - although as Prime Minister, it's difficult to have personal views, you have to follow protocols - but I made it clear in my view it was a terrorism event. And then the very next day, after having the National Security Committee, the ERC that formerly supported the increased funding and our processes finalising MYEFO, I was there, yesterday.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry wants mandatory antisemitism education in schools, protests to be banned outside places of worship and a National Cabinet to be convened on antisemitism. Can your Government deliver this?

PRIME MINISTER: I certainly support the banning of demonstrations outside any place of worship. There is no - I cannot conceive of any reason, apart from creating division in our community, of why someone would want to hold a demonstration outside a place of worship. You know, we need to respect people's faith. And, you know, I went to school just up the road here at St. Mary's Cathedral, and I think that whether it's a synagogue, the Great Synagogue I visited with that school, whether it's a Great Synagogue, a cathedral, a mosque - completely unacceptable. And I make this point about this as well. I have not heard - recently there have been demonstrations outside St. Mary's Cathedral. I think they were incredibly disrespectful when that occurred. But more recently, what we've seen is people , I know the Great Synagogue. The idea - why would you do that? I mean, what is in people's heads to do that? And therefore, I think that authorities - I know Premier Minns has made comments about this and I certainly support his view. And I think one of the things that Jillian and I spoke about yesterday was how we do more in terms of education and curriculum and I think that is something that we do need to do more on. There is some, in some areas - jurisdictions - curriculum on the Holocaust, but I think it needs to be broader. That is my view today.

JOURNALIST: At a press conference today, ASIC's Joe Longo said that he had briefed the Treasurer and the Assistant Treasurer about Rex Airlines board of directors allegedly misleading conduct which has led to a lawsuit today from them. Given that you guys were aware, given you were aware of those briefings, I guess, why did you guys still give that $80 million funding to them given the alleged misleading conduct?

PRIME MINISTER: I'll make two points. One is you have referred to legal - I'm not aware of the press conference. I've been doing pretty important work on early education today. So, legal matters, my alarm bells go off and it's always dangerous to talk once someone says there are legal matters involved. I will say this though more broadly about Rex, without commenting on the specific thing that you raised. We need to have regional flights into regional cities. Places like Mount Gambier, King Island in - and I think Flinders, they probably fly to - I know they fly to King Island in Tasmania. In New South Wales, places like Dubbo and Wagga Wagga and Tamworth. If you take away - I say this as a former Aviation Minister - one of the reasons why we had regional slots at Sydney Airport is that people need to be able to get in to the capital cities and get out at the end of the day. That's a lifeline for those communities. And I think what happened with Rex, I do have some views, but I'll be circumspect given the legal action you foreshadowed. How it got to that situation is something that is unfortunate. But I'll make this point. Those regional communities need access to aviation. We're a big country. We're a country the size of Europe almost.

JOURNALIST: Of course, noting all the work you did to do with the Adass Synagogue fire while you were in Western Australia, in retrospect now, particularly with the optics of it, would you have gone immediately and do you now perhaps realise the importance to that community there, their Prime Minister being on the ground with them much quicker?

PRIME MINISTER: I was welcomed to the community yesterday and I've got to say the community leaders were very generous in their comments as well. I was on a plane to Western Australia. We had a full schedule. The opening in Western Australia of the - the airline at the railway line, first railway line, new railway line extending out of the northeastern suburbs there in 20 years. It's something that I promised in 2013, as did then Minister Rita Saffiotti. And then both State and Federal Labor lost government and nothing happened for a while and it got done. So, it was for some time those appointments were in the diary. As Prime Minister, my diary is very, very difficult. I have - I engaged very directly with the community, as I do. I mean, today I engaged with this community. I rang Allegra, she rang me back. She was busy. And then I was doing the childcare event today. You have major logistics with what I do. And from time to time, of course, I would love to be able to just change everything, or be in more than one place at once. But I was very engaged with the Adass community. I had not had previous contact, as I said. Through Josh Burns as well, there were people on the ground and police. And one of the things that occurs as well, immediately, I know that, you know, other political leaders weren't there either on the weekend, and that's fine. Appointments were made. I'm sure that they had as well.

JOURNALIST: PM, just to expand on what you said about banning protests, the Victorian Police Commissioner was asked this question, I believe, on Monday in the press conference where they confirmed they were treating as a terrorist attack. He said, in that state at least, protests outside religious sites were legal. Is this something you plan to discuss with State Premiers? Is this a federal change that you -

PRIME MINISTER: Hang on, no, no. We have three levels of government in Australia and that is a decision of - I don't intend to, nor am I capable of abolishing the states. If we were redesigning Australia today, I would support two tiers of government, so -

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)

PRIME MINISTER: I do certainly, I do certainly. And I note that Chris Minns has said that. Because I just can't see, in anything - I very much support people's right to protest. But there are squares that they can go to, to demonstrate outside. And I'll make this point for people who are thinking of doing it. For people to demonstrate outside a place of worship, is a provocative act which undermines whatever the cause may be that people are purporting to advance because it completely alienates people who adopt a bit of common sense. A bit of common sense tells you, why would you do that? Because you're not demonstrating against a government, you're not demonstrating against an action of a government. You're demonstrating against people's faith. And I support people's right to express their faith. I love the fact that in this great country of ours we are in enriched by people of different faith who've come here. I very much was uplifted by attending the bar mitzvah in Perth Synagogue. I found it an interesting experience, a generous experience. I was welcomed. The Rabbi provided me with lollies to throw, you know, and whether it's the range of religions in this country - one of the things that makes Australia great and a strength - and I'll conclude with this point. When I speak at citizenship ceremonies, I always say that as someone who was born here, that I admire people who've made a decision to go to another country, is by itself an act of bravery. Now, some people, the outstanding gentlemen who are with us here, it wasn't a choice. That was for freedom from the atrocities that occurred in World War II. Many others come fleeing from violence or persecution. Many come because of an economic opportunity in life. But they all come here, with the exception of First Nations people, they all come here as either, we're all either migrants or descendants of migrants. We can be, at a time where there's so much trouble and conflict in the world, we can be a microcosm for the world. And that's what we need to be. A beacon of hope and light. I got given yesterday a menorah by Mr. Spiegelman, very generously in his home. And he went through with me the light each day and the meaning of what it was. That was really moving for me. But I think, you know, we are at troubled times. You look at what's happening in so many places in the world, some of which receive more publicity than others. Some of the events that are going on in Africa are devastating. We can be a microcosm for the world that shows that people of different faiths, different backgrounds can live side by side in harmony. In harmony. And we got presented a Harmony Day cap downstairs. And I thank you for all of that. You know, that's Australia's aim. That's Australia at our best. That's the Australia that I'm proud to be Prime Minister of. Thank you very much.

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