Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Adjournment

Anti-vilification legislation

David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (19:00): (671) The matter that I wish to raise tonight is for the Attorney-General. The action that I seek is for the Attorney to meet with Jewish community leaders and update them on the status of the hate laws that are desperately needed here in this state at the moment. We have seen an increase in antisemitism like we have never seen before. This is not a situation where people are blaming Israel for some of the issues in the Middle East, but unfortunately Jewish people within our community have been targeted with hate. It is unacceptable, and it needs to stop.

As I speak tonight, former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has put a documentary together that he is airing. It goes for about an hour, and it talks about a whole range of things that have transpired since 7 October. Unfortunately a lot of those issues we have seen locally in our community, but there is nothing more abhorrent than what we saw only a few days ago at Mount Scopus Memorial College, our largest Jewish day school, which I am proudly an old collegian of, as is my wife. That the words ‘Jew die’ would be inscribed on the front of that school is not an anti-Israel attack, that is an anti-Jew attack. That is not just graffiti but is a targeted hate attack. It is appalling and very unfortunate. I note that the Minister for Police is at the table today. For us to hear that Victoria Police would be treating that as a graffiti crime rather than a hate crime is for me an example, if you ever wanted one, of why we need hate laws in this state that actually work, that have teeth and that ensure that people who target individuals, no matter who they are and no matter where they come from – and it is not just Jews but anyone that is targeted – face consequences. That is why we need those laws.

We have had situations on local footy fields. There was a recent situation for our AJAX juniors where a young boy had his kippah knocked off his head and was called words that I will not repeat in this Parliament. We have situations for these football kids of having ‘Free Palestine’ yelled and their being booed on the footy field. AJAX have been playing junior footy for over 50 years – these kids should not have to deal with that. Whether it is in universities, whether it is in schools or whether it is at the football – no matter where it is in our community, hate is not acceptable and it needs to stop.

These laws were discussed over two years ago. We started with the swastika ban – we did that collectively. We now have these hate laws. We have had a whole lot of recommendations that are sitting on the Attorney-General’s table. The Attorney-General must meet with our leaders and tell us when these laws are going to happen so the Jewish community can finally feel safe.