Israel Conflict Student Protests

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:26): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General and the education minister about Adelaide University.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: Last Saturday, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, betrayed Australia, Israel and the Jewish community by siding with murderous tin-pot terror regime Hamas in voting to back UN membership for Palestine. It has resulted in widespread revulsion and condemnation, although it was immediately praised by none other than the barbaric baby killers Hamas as an expression of support for them, as they would see themselves in control as part of a two-state solution.

In the meantime, an unauthorised camp of largely empty tents has been set up by pro-Palestinian activists on the grounds of Adelaide University. It isn't about free speech. It is really about spreading the messages of hate against Israel and the Jewish community. Jewish students are afraid to attend. Academics have left. There are activists there who are not students of the university, including one who tweeted her joy on 7 October when Hamas butchered more than 1,200 Jews—men, women, children and babies—and took more than 200 hostages. The Vice-Chancellor, Peter Hoj, confirmed this in a letter to me.

ANU and Deakin University have moved to clear the camps from their campuses because freedom of speech doesn't extend to the establishment of shanties taking over university grounds. Our Vice-Chancellor, Peter Hoj, doesn't seem to have the same attitude. My questions to the Attorney-General and minister are:

1. Do they support the encampments?

2. In doing so, if they do, are they also supporting hate speech and discrimination against Jewish members of the faculty and the campus?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:28): I thank the honourable member for his question. I don't agree with the characterisation of much of what was said in the question, particularly Australia joining with the vast majority of the international community in the United Nations in recent days. In relation to protests that are occurring at Adelaide University, that's a matter for the university. It's not a matter for a member of this chamber to get up and impose their views on how that is handled.

I very much like the honourable member and appreciate his contribution, but I have to say: what a difference one year makes. One year: it was about this time last year we were debating changes to the Summary Offences Act that were about impeding the right of way in public places, and the Hon. Frank Pangallo I think spoke for five hours. He gave us a very in-depth history of the protest movement and the need for laws to be able to permit free and fair protesting on issues of concern. We are nearly a year later, and it seems the honourable member has had a very, very different change of heart and view in relation to how people protest.

We have a long and proud history in Australia that continues, I think, of social change through protest. The Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra is probably—from the areas that I am responsible for—one of the most visible demonstrations of that. I am very glad that no government sought to tear down the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra that has highlighted issues over many, many years and brought about change.