E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Topics: Antisemitism; Prime Minister’s response to Melbourne Synagogue terrorist attack; Legal protections for Jewish Australians; Peter Dutton; Australian flags.
DAVID CAMPBELL, HOST: Welcome back. Jewish tourists have been told to avoid non-essential travel to Australia amid an escalating risk of antisemitic attacks. This comes as criticism of the Prime Minister reaches an all-time high, pictured playing tennis in Perth in the aftermath of the Melbourne synagogue terror attack. Joining us to discuss this is National Senator Bridget McKenzie. Bridget, good to have your insight this morning. So, the Prime Minister has said antisemitism was a major threat and is on the rise. It seems like over the last few years we're starting to face a real crisis in this country.
BRIDGET MCKENZIE, SENATOR: Absolutely, David. We've been saying this on this program for over 14 months. The Holocaust didn't start with Jews in gas chambers. It started with antisemitism being normalised on the streets of Germany. And here in this country since the October 7 attack, we've seen Jewish schoolchildren harassed and bullied, Jewish businesses boycotted, Jewish artists cancelled, Jewish families being told in Melbourne and Sydney, don't go into the CBD when those protests are on, we cannot guarantee your safety. That's what's been happening for 14 months. This is now the third attack, a serious attack and absolutely rightly called a terrorist attack. And to have the PM over in the West, you know, having drinks and playing tennis, I said speaks very much of his priority. We need action, not statements. And his flaccid response to the rise of antisemitism on our streets over the last 14 months has absolutely led us to the place we are in today. Just shocking and we absolutely need to stand up against it.
DAVID CAMPBELL: Absolutely, 100 per cent. Let's bring in Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth, who's just joined us now. Amanda, thanks for coming in. These travel warnings that we're discussing here as well have been issued by US-based Jewish Human Rights Organisation. It seems fair, but it seems horrible for us as a nation to have this called on us like this.
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Oh, look, absolutely. It is unacceptable. Any antisemitism in this country. We are a country that has welcomed people from all faiths and it is just absolutely unacceptable. And that is why we've now seen a police task force with ASIO, AFP and local authorities step up in response to this. But we've also been acting over the last 14 months to combat this, of course, there's been funding flowing to support the Jewish community, feel more safe. There's been the special envoy that's been stood up. There's been outlawing Nazi symbols. And of course, there's legislation in the Parliament to increase the penalties for hate crimes. So, we have to stay vigilant. It is unacceptable to see this response. As a country, we are better than that. And together we need to unite and not divide. And I am really disappointed to see Bridget just playing politics with this. People are exhausted of politics. The ASIO boss said that we shouldn't be using language that inflames the situation. We should be actually not sowing the seeds of division. So, it's time we all come together and make an unequivocal statement that this is just unacceptable.
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: David, I really have to address that.
DAVID CAMPBELL: Go ahead, Bridget.
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Amanda, for 14 months, the Labor Party has been making an equivalent statement that antisemitism and Islamophobia are somehow equivalent in this country, when what we've seen is an exponential rise in antisemitism, as I outlined in my earlier comments. And the Labor Party and our Prime Minister has done nothing. You can have all the laws you like if you're not going to uphold them, arrest people and convict them.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: That is not true, Bridget. Laws don’t count? Laws don’t count, is that what you’re saying?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Excuse me, I let you speak. I let you speak. We have not seen people arrested for harassing and intimidating and behaving in antisemitic ways. We've had state police forces and state Labor Governments allowing Hezbollah, Hamas, symbols of terrorist organisations on our city streets. And I talk to the Jewish community, they don't feel safe. And the Labor Party's own antisemitism envoy has been telling the Prime Minister since this attack, you have to act. The time for statements is over. So, finally we get some action from. We have stood up. We stood up and say that you've been acting for 14 months, because you haven't. That's why this happens so finally we get some action from this Prime Minister.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: We have stood up…
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Please don’t come on this and say you have been acting for 14 months because you haven’t. That’s why this happened.
DAVID CAMPBELL: I want to move on to something else…
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Bridget, that is just not true. That is just not true.
DAVID CAMPBELL: Amanda, I want to move on, that is a very heated topic. I want to move on before we lose both of you. Because Peter Dutton has declared that he would never address the nation with both the Australian and the Indigenous flags behind him should he become Prime Minister. At this stage of the close polls, that is looking lightly, saying we are a country united under one flag. Amanda would go to you first. He says he believes that the two flags divide people unnecessarily. What do you make of the Opposition Leader stance?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, I think this is the Opposition Leader trying to just create a headline again. You know, I proudly go to schools. I present Australian flags. I present Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. I mean this is the Opposition Leader just trying to get a headline. And really there is our national flag, the Australian flag, we've got the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flag. You know, I think we can take a lot of pride in our history and the future of this country. I think this is Peter Dutton just doing what he knows how to do best. Try and get a headline with no substance, no real policies about, for example, tackling cost of living or things that really matter to the Australian people.
DAVID CAMPBELL: Bridget, quickly your thoughts on this one?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Absolutely. I'm very proud of our flag. All Australians want to be united as one people having a prosperous and successful future under the Australian flag. That in no way denigrates the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, but that is the one thing that does unite us, our common future, despite our different pasts. And so I'm excited to be part of a future Dutton Government if we get that great privilege and to restore the primacy of the Australian flag.
DAVID CAMPBELL: Alright team, we will leave it there. I really do appreciate both your time this morning. Thank you so much.