Matt Thistlethwaite
Kingsford Smith · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“At the same time, the bill reduces unnecessary burden and simplifies the operation of the scheme. It reduces regulatory requirements for lower risk arrangements, including removing unnecessary approval steps for minor variations and renewals of arrangements that have already been assessed.”
“It expands our ability to manage risk, including by allowing conditions to be imposed on foreign arrangements both at the point of approval and during their operation. This provides a more flexible and proportionate response than outright refusal or cancellation.”
“It applies to state, territory and local governments and public universities, and requires notification, and in some cases approval of, arrangements with foreign entities, particularly foreign government departments, agencies and universities that lack independence in their governance.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Australia has long benefited from international engagement whether it be through education, cultural exchange, research collaboration or trade. These connections strengthen our economy, enrich our society, and extend our global influence.”
“In 2024, the government commissioned an independent review of the scheme led by Rosemary Huxtable. As part of the review, Ms Huxtable consulted widely across federal, state, territory and local governments and Australian universities to hear their views and their concerns about the operation and the structure of the scheme.”
“Its amendments would strengthen the scheme's framework by sharpening the focus on Australia's national interest and enhancing the tools available to manage risk. The bill will streamline the scheme's operation by simplifying processes and reducing administrative burden, particularly for lower risk arrangements.”
The complete record
Every one of 299 lines we hold for Matt Thistlethwaite, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 6.
“During the election campaign I was fortunate to have the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, come to the Children's Cancer Institute at the University of New South Wales in Randwick to make the announcement that the Albanese Labor government will continue to properly fund the Children's Cancer Institute to ensure that the groundbreaking research and clinical care at this institute will continue into the future. Many Australians would not believe that Australia actually leads the world in the research and development of what is personalised medicine and personalised treatment, each treatment being unique and different, specified and tailored to the needs of the child.”
“It is a wonderful initiative, and the community appreciates that. Again, during the election campaign Labor announced that we would fund additional Medicare urgent care clinics across the country to ensure that people get the access to health care that they deserve. And this week in the parliament we will reintroduce legislation delivering on the promise that we made to make medicines cheaper, reducing the cost of a PBS script to $25 and continuing the freezing of script prices for pensioners and seniors at $7.70.”
“During our first term in government, we provided funding to ensure that children and pensioners got access to additional bulk-billing through a guarantee and increases in funding. We're now extending that to the rest of the population, with a massive increase in the incentive for bulk-billing to ensure that doctors, GPs in particular, and their practices bulk-bill their patients and everyone gets access to the health care they need when they need it. We're very fortunate in my community to have a Medicare urgent care clinic in Maroubra. I was very proud when we opened this facility. As of last month, there had been close to 30,000 visits to the Medicare urgent care clinic, providing people with access to Medicare funded, bulk-billed, non-life-threatening care when and if required in the local community. It has been very popular.”
“That is the reason why Medicare was established—to ensure that all Australians, regardless of your income, your background or where you live, get access to that primary health care that they deserve and to ensure that minor health problems don't become major health problems and result in acute care. Thankfully, I'm proud to be a member of a government that is dealing with that issue of co-payments and properly funding bulk-billing in this country. Again, a legacy from the coalition government was that they froze the Medicare rebate for a number of years, which basically ensured that doctors had to charge co-payments to continue to survive. It shouldn't be that way. That undermines the universality of Medicare, and that is why the Albanese government is acting.”
“Unfortunately we've had many GPs in our community and across Australia that have been charging co-payments for people to visit. That undermines the universality of Medicare and the healthcare system, and the effect is that people don't go to the GP when they get sick, as this woman in Chifley outlined to me. They wait and wait and wait and get sicker and sicker and sicker until eventually it ends up being acute care in the public hospital system and, guess what, costs the taxpayer much more money. It doesn't make sense that we don't provide that universal primary health care upfront.”
“Labor is fixing that, and I was very proud that the Prime Minister and the education minister signed an agreement, during the election campaign, with the New South Wales government to finally properly fund public schools so schools like the one I mentioned earlier can finally get access to the facilities they deserve and the kids finally get access to the education they deserve. During the election campaign I was doorknocking in Chifley, where I met a woman who was telling me about her complex health needs. She was also telling me about the fact that she didn't visit the GP anymore; she only went to the public hospital when the situation was drastic. When I asked why she wasn't visiting the GP, she simply said she can't afford the co-payment.”
“The report by David Gonski on the deficiencies in our public education system was handed to the Gillard government in 2012. I was quite proud that during this election campaign the Albanese Labor government finally committed to properly funding our public schools. It has only taken 13 years, but finally we are getting there. It shouldn't take 13 years. Quality education should be a basic principle that Australian governments of all persuasions adhere to, because it's about providing opportunities for kids to get access to a decent education regardless of their background, regardless of where they live, regardless of their parents' income and regardless of any disabilities or learning deficiencies they have. But that has not been the case. The legacy of the previous coalition government was to underfund public schools.”
“Around the same time a well-known Sydney private school was opening a new Scottish-style baronial castle, built on the school grounds, that cost $60 million. I don't begrudge private schools providing better facilities for their students. Their parents pay hefty fees and deserve a quality education and facilities for their children. But when a local public school, which cannot knock back kids with disabilities, where the teachers are giving their all to try and provide those kids a decent education, can't fund air conditioning to keep teachers and students cool in summer, then something is drastically wrong with our education system—and there has been wrong. The public education system in Australia has not been up to scratch for well over a decade now.”
“On the eve of the recent election campaign, I met a public school teacher who teaches at a local primary public school. She was at a meeting with some fellow teachers who were meeting with me and the New South Wales Teachers Federation. This teacher was in tears. She was at wits' end and frustrated by the fact that she teaches kids in a range of age groups with disabilities yet the facilities she's teaching in are outdated, are old and, importantly, don't have air conditioning. That means during the hot summer months, when this classroom is under the flight path of planes associated with Sydney Airport, they can't open the windows and get proper ventilation. The toilets in the school were constructed in the 1970s and haven't changed. These are the conditions the teachers at a local public school were working under.”
“The amendments also amend the regulation-making powers in the Aviation Transport Security Act to expressly allow regulations to prescribe offences and penalties for airport and aircraft operators and increase those maximum penalties. They also amend the general regulation-making powers in relation to sections 38B, 74K and 133 of the Aviation Transport Security Act to increase the maximum penalty that may be prescribed for offences under those provisions from 50 penalty units to 250 penalty units. Finally, they introduce a requirement for the secretary to notify the Minister for Home Affairs after issuing a special security direction under the Aviation Transport Security Act and the Maritime Transport Security Act as well. This will enhance the existing safeguards and provide an accountability measure for the secretary. Question agreed to.”
“53 Transitional provision The amendments of sections 35, 36, 36A, 37, 38, 38A, 38AB, 38B, 44, 44C, 52, 60, 62, 65, 74K and 133 of the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 made by this this Part do not affect the validity of regulations in force for the purposes of those provisions immediately before the commencement of this item. The amendments that the government is moving come about as a result of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security inquiry into this bill. These amendments pick up six of the recommendations made by that committee following that inquiry. The amendments increased penalties for offences across the transport security legislation, specifically for airport operators and aircraft operators. They also increase penalty offences across the legislation as it expressly applies to screening authorities.”
“49 Subsections 100(1) and 101(1) (penalty) Omit "200 penalty units", substitute "300 penalty units". 50 Paragraph 133(2)(b) Omit "50 penalty units", substitute "250 penalty units". 51 At the end of subsection 133(2) Add: Note: If a body corporate is convicted of an offence against regulations made under this section, subsection 4B(3) of the Crimes Act 1914 allows a court to impose fines of up to 5 times the penalty stated in paragraph (b). 52 Subsection 133(3) Omit "50 penalty units", substitute "250 penalty units".”
“44 Paragraph 44(4)(a) Repeal the paragraph, substitute: (a) for an offence committed by an airport operator, an aircraft operator or a screening authority—250 penalty units; or 45 Paragraphs 44C(4)(a), 52(3)(a), 60(3)(a), 62(2)(a) and 65(3)(a) Omit "200 penalty units", substitute "250 penalty units". 46 Subsections 65C(1), 73(1) and 74C(1) (penalty) Omit "200 penalty units", substitute "300 penalty units". 47 Subsection 74K(3) Omit "50 penalty units", substitute "250 penalty units". 48 At the end of section 74K Add: Note: If a body corporate is convicted of an offence against regulations made for the purposes of this section, subsection 4B(3) of the Crimes Act 1914 allows a court to impose fines of up to 5 times the penalty stated in this subsection.”
“40 Paragraphs 35(3)(a), 36(3)(a), 36A(3)(a), 37(3)(a), 38(3)(a) and 38A(3)(a) Repeal the paragraphs, substitute: (a) for an offence committed by an airport operator, an aircraft operator or a screening authority—250 penalty units; or 41 Paragraph 38AB(3)(a) Omit "200 penalty units", substitute "250 penalty units". 42 Subsection 38B(1) Omit "50 penalty units", substitute "250 penalty units". 43 At the end of subsection 38B(1) Add: Note: If a body corporate is convicted of an offence against regulations made for the purposes of this section, subsection 4B(3) of the Crimes Act 1914 allows a court to impose fines of up to 5 times the penalty stated in this subsection.”
“(8) Schedule 3, page 86 (after line 11), after item 29, insert: 29A Before section 37 Insert: 36B Notification of security directions (1) The Secretary must, as soon as reasonably practicable after giving a security direction, notify the Minister, in writing, of: (a) the giving of the direction; and (b) the terms of the direction. (2) Failure to comply with this section does not affect the validity of the direction. (9) Schedule 3, page 90 (after line 30), at the end of the Schedule, add: Part 7 — Increased penalties Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 39 Subsections 13(1) and 14(1) (penalty) Omit "200 penalty units", substitute "300 penalty units".”
“(6) Schedule 1, item 59, page 35 (lines 17 and 18), omit "200 penalty units", substitute "300 penalty units". (7) Schedule 3, page 85 (after line 8), after item 25, insert: 25A After section 69 Insert: 69A Notification of special security directions (1) The Secretary must, as soon as reasonably practicable after giving a special security direction, notify the Minister, in writing, of: (a) the giving of the direction; and (b) the terms of the direction. (2) Failure to comply with this section does not affect the validity of the direction.”
“I present the supplementary explanatory memorandum of the bill, and I ask leave of the House to move government amendments (1) to (9) together. Leave is granted. I move government amendments (1) to (9) as circulated together: SHEET AP102 (1) Schedule 1, item 5, page 8 (line 20), omit the penalty, substitute: Penalty: 300 penalty units. (2) Schedule 1, item 5, page 9 (line 1), omit the penalty, substitute: Penalty: 300 penalty units. (3) Schedule 1, item 7, page 9 (line 28), omit the penalty, substitute: Penalty: 300 penalty units. (4) Schedule 1, item 7, page 10 (line 9), omit the penalty, substitute: Penalty: 300 penalty units. (5) Schedule 1, item 28, page 20 (after line 11), at the end of subsection 171(5), add: Penalty: 200 penalty units.”
“The management of seized engineered-stone products at the border presents significant logistical challenges for Border Force, particularly in terms of storage and transport of this bulk good, so the measures in this bill are essential to provide a mechanism to allow Australian Border Force officials to effectively administer seized engineered-stone products at the border. With the passage of this bill, I'm pleased to say that Australian workers and their families will be a step closer to being protected from significant harms caused by working with engineered stone. I commend the bill. Debate adjourned.”
“We're determined to put in place mechanisms to prevent workers from being exposed to respirable crystalline silica, which, when inhaled, can cause fatal lung disease and other chronic illnesses, like silicosis. A key element of achieving this is inclusion of engineered stone as a prohibited import under customs' regulations, and the prohibited imports regulations came into effect on 1 January 2025. The measures in this bill will support the import prohibition, providing for the expedited seizure and disposal of engineered-stone products seized at the border and enhancing the operational effectiveness of the import prohibition.”
“I want to thank all the members who've contributed to this debate on the Customs Amendment (Expedited Seizure and Disposal of Engineered Stone) Bill. It is an important reform. Silicosis is an insidious disease, and people who contract it, unfortunately, can have their lung capacity reduced over time and die a very long, slow death. We know that engineered-stone products, when handled in the wrong way, can result in the people working with them contracting silicosis and other diseases. That's why the government has taken this action to strengthen the legislative framework for engineered stone—in order to protect workers from the health risks associated with it.”
“That is why we funded and implemented that 15 per cent wage rise, and I've been very pleased, going around the early childhood education centres in my electorate, hearing the support from early childhood educators for what Labor did, and thanking us for finally recognising and valuing the work that those great Australians do for the next generation. This reform is really important. It's about recognising education as a right and ensuring that more kids get access to that right, and constructing more early education centres, particularly in the regions, to ensure that that right can be delivered. Unfortunately, those opposite still see early childhood education as a privilege. We intend to change that and make sure that it is a right recognised by Australians and accessible by every Australian child.”
“Traditionally, this is an occupation that has been undervalued and not respected in the way that it should be by the Australian community and by governments of the past. We are changing that. We recognise the skills, the training, the experience, and, most importantly, the groundbreaking job that early childhood educators do, and the influence that they can have on the lives and success of young Australians into the future. That is why we were proud to fund and implement the 15 per cent wage rise for early educators to recognise that there needed to be a seismic shift in the value that society placed on the work that they did. Going back to the point that I made earlier, we're recognising that early childhood education is a right, not a privilege.”
“We've delivered cheaper child care. We've implemented a 15 per cent wage rise for early childhood educators, and established the $1 billion early education fund to construct and expand childcare centres in areas of need. These are picking up on the points that were made by the previous speaker of the need in regional areas. On all of those issues, we're answering the call. We've got a solution that will ensure that there are more childcare centres constructed and that more children get access to early childhood education. I can't see how you could oppose that. I can't see how you can say to those families: 'No, early childhood education is not a right. It is only a privilege.' That is the approach that the opposition are taking. I want to speak a little about early childhood educators.”
“They made cuts to early childhood in the past, and it's looking like that's another area where they will fulfil cuts in the future if they are going to meet their commitment to cut $300-odd billion from the budget. The impact of that will be devastating for many families. The impact when they were last in government was devastating. Department of Education data shows that the number of children from low-income families accessing care under the previous government plummeted from around 32,000 in 2018 to just 6,500 in 2019. That's not just a statistic; that's thousands of children denied the opportunity to learn and grow and develop alongside their peers. Our reforms are momentous, groundbreaking and life changing for a generation of younger Australians. They've been described as momentous by groups representing parents and workers.”
“It's about giving parents real choices about work and ensuring their children get the educational foundations that they deserve. The evidence is clear, as I said: quality early education sets children up for success in school and post-school life. It develops social skills, literacy and numeracy and it gives kids the confidence that they need to thrive. That's why it's concerning that the opposition and the Liberal Party have made their position clear on this. We know that they'll go to the next election with promises to undermine the early childhood education system. There certainly won't be the same support there for early childhood educators that our government have delivered.”
“Simply, that is what this bill is all about—providing every child with that right to early education. Our three-day guarantee, which will begin on 5 January next year, represents a fundamental shift in our belief about early childhood and the philosophy behind it—that every child should have the right to access it. So it represents a shift away from the restrictive activity test that was the hallmark of the previous government's management of early childhood to one of a fundamental right. We are proud of this reform because it will increase the entitlement to early childhood education for over 100,000 families, with more than 66,000 families expected to be better off in the first full financial year. But, importantly, no family and no child will be worse off. That is the crux of this argument. It's not just about numbers.”
“Having heard some of the speeches delivered by those opposite, it's not hard to see that many on that side believe that education is a privilege and that it should be paid for and not accessible by all. But, in this bill, Labor is saying our belief is that education is a right and that education is a right that every child should be able to access in this country from the earliest ages. And so this bill ensures that all children, regardless of their background, regardless of where they live and regardless of their parents' means and income, have access to a three-day guarantee of early childhood education. That's because we know that the evidence indicates that that child will have a much better chance at life through that earlier formal education.”
“The evidence is incontrovertible: the earlier a child accesses formal education the much better their chances of a good quality of life. In all of the metrics on quality of life, including learning and development, social skills, level of school attainment, tertiary study and eventually careers, children who access education at an earlier age are better placed to be more successful in those metrics. That comes down to the emphasis that we as a society place on early childhood education for our youngest citizens. Really the question here in this bill, the Early Childhood Education and Care (Three Day Guarantee) Bill 2025, is whether we believe that education is a right or whether we believe that education is a privilege.”
“Personal information collected by AusCheck as part of undertaking background checks for Global Entry program applicants will be subject to the existing information handling protections as set out in the AusCheck Act. This will safeguard the personal information of all Australian applicants regardless of when they submitted their application. A small number of Australian citizens have already been able to apply through phase 1 of Australia's participation in the Global Entry program, which commenced on 17 January 2025, and we're seeking to progress this legislative reform as quickly as possible to ensure ongoing participation in the program. I want to thank the department and the staff at the department for their hand in facilitating this important reform, and I commend the bill to the chamber. Debate adjourned.”
“The proposed criteria would align with the eligibility criteria established by the US government for the Global Entry program. The amendments will also allow for regulations to prescribe how decisions are to be made and how the results of background checks are to be communicated. This includes communication of results to the applicant, to an entity who applied on the applicant's behalf, and the US Customs and Border Protection. The amendments in the bill will also expand the scope of what background checks may be conducted under the AusCheck Act to allow an assessment of whether the applicant has been convicted of particular offences under the Defence Force Discipline Act. This amendment is necessary to align with the requirements specified by the United States government for eligibility into the Global Entry program.”
“It has well-established controls and processes, and the expertise and experience necessary to undertake background checks for the high volume of applicants expected to apply for the Global Entry program. Background checks are managed through a cybersecure system, which limits unauthorised access to applicants' information. The system features integration with checking partners to ensure a secure and efficient end-to-end process for assessing applications. Utilising the existing AusCheck framework will provide a streamlined background checking process for Australian Global Entry program applicants. The bill also allows regulations to be made that prescribe the criteria for background checks for Global Entry program applicants.”
“As a requirement for participation in the Global Entry program, the Australian government must complete background checks on applicants who are Australian citizens. This bill includes amendments to the AusCheck Act 2007,to provide a legislative basis for Australia's participation in the Global Entry program. The bill will amend the regulation-making power in the AusCheck Act to allow regulations to be made for the purpose of coordinating and conducting background checks of an individual, to enable participation in the Global Entry program. AusCheck, situated within the Department of Home Affairs, has a long history of providing background checks for various national security related background-checking programs.”
“The Global Entry program is a voluntary program and provides an avenue for eligible citizens of trusted partner countries to have access to faster entry at US airports. The opportunity to access expedited clearances when crossing US borders is already available for citizens of other nations and we also want to make this available for Australians. This was secured by Prime Minister Albanese on a state visit to the United States in 2023. This government has entered into an arrangement with the United States that enables Australian citizens to join this program, which is a sign of the closeness and trust between our two nations. Implementation of this arrangement was announced by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on 6 August 2024.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The AusCheck Amendment (Global Entry Program) Bill 2025 enables the expansion of Australia's participation in the United States's trusted traveller Global Entry program. Australia's participation in the Global Entry program will improve the border entry experience for the multitude of Australians who visit the United States every year. The relationship between Australia and the United States is built on strong people-to-people links, based on common values and our deep historical and cultural bonds. A significant number of Australian citizens travel annually to the United States and its territories, including tourists, students, professional workers, temporary business travellers and working holiday-makers.”
“That's why the Albanese government is doing all it can to protect the community that I live in and all Australians across our wonderful nation.”
“There will be a higher maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment where the threat to use force or violence, if carried out, would threaten the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth. The new offences will target the most serious forms of harmful hate speech, namely urging and threatening force or violence against others. The bill sends a clear message that urging force or violence is unacceptable and will be subject to serious criminal penalties. We're doing all we can to make sure that we keep our communities safe and that all Australians have the right to go about their business, to take their kids to school, to go to work, to enjoy our wonderful country and to be treated equally and respectfully as Australians.”
“This bill strengthens existing offences that prohibit urging the use of force or violence against others. It also creates new criminal offences for threatening the use of force or violence against others. We have no tolerance for some of the actions that have been occurring in our nation and we will hunt down those responsible and prosecute them under these new laws. These new laws will protect groups or members of groups distinguished by race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, identity, intersex status, disability, nationality, political opinion or national or ethnic origin. The offences will carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.”
“It's been encouraging to see our community get behind the Jewish community and support them and work with them, and that's why we've established a working group made up of elected representatives, including myself, the local area commanders, the police, and leaders of the Jewish community. We're going to work with them to make sure that they can live safely in Australia. That's why this government, the Albanese government, is acting to protect all Australians from hatred, extremism and violence. The government introduced legislation to create new criminal offences that strengthen protection against hate crimes. This bill will make it clear that urging or threatening violence and force is unacceptable and subject to serious criminal penalties.”
“Just over the course of the last week, two arrests have been made in relation to some of those antisemitic attacks in our community, and they follow about 180 arrests that have been made since the government passed laws strengthening protections for Jewish communities throughout this country. We're continuing to work proudly with our Jewish neighbours in Kingsford Smith and across Australia. Jewish communities are ordinary Australians who just want to go about their lives, take their kids to school, go to work and live a rewarding and fulfilling life here in Australia like everyone else. They don't deserve to be targeted with these shocking unAustralian attacks.”
“On that morning, I met with the school president and community members to see what we could do to help, and I was back at the school on Friday morning when the kids were returning to greet the parents with local police to let them know that we had their backs. I've been meeting with members of the Jewish community over the last couple of months, and, understandably, they're fed up—and so they should be. They're scared and they want this all to stop. My message to them was very clear that we're doing all we can to catch these perpetrators and ensure that they're prosecuted as quickly as possible.”
“I was there that morning to see the impact of those crimes and I made it clear that I stand with the Jewish community in our area and across the nation in working to stop these sorts of attacks. There's no place for hateful and cowardly antisemitism anywhere in our community. I was joined by the Prime Minister and the New South Wales Premier that morning, who equally condemned the attacks. We spoke with neighbours, educators and members of the Jewish community at the site to offer our support. Unfortunately, a week later, another attack occurred at the Mount Sinai College and on a nearby home on 30 January. This was a targeted attack against students returning to the Jewish primary school that morning. It was another disgusting and low act to try and target kids and make them feel unsafe as they were returning to school for the year.”
“Unfortunately, in the community that I represent, we've had a number of shocking antisemitic and racist attacks on premises, on people and on our community. The Only About Children childcare centre on Storey Street, Maroubra, was attacked on the morning of Tuesday 21 January with a disgusting and evil act of antisemitism, which I strongly condemn. The targeting of an early childhood education facility is simply unforgivable. Targeting kids—it's about as low as it gets. I grew up a few hundred metres from that site. It's actually the site of a former primary school where I went to school as a kid. It's now a childcare centre, and it was quite alarming for me to see what had occurred there that morning in an area that I've got such a connection with, which I have had for most of my life.”
“In the wake of October 7 we've had a dramatic increase in hatred in Australia, unfortunately. It's something I can't recall ever seeing being so severe in my lifetime. Some of that hatred has manifested itself in antisemitism and racism, and it's having a dramatic effect on social cohesion. Some Australians are feeling scared and threatened and are unable to leave their homes. They feel that they're not part of the community that they grew up in. These are not values that we want to see here in Australia. These are not values that represent our nation, and, on that basis, the Albanese government are acting. We're acting through this bill and through other reforms to ensure that we respond to the increasing number of hate crimes that encourage violence and extremism and to make them crimes in this country.”
“If a bunch of high school students can set an example of how we should be approaching this issue and how we can solve it together, then surely we, as the leaders of this nation, can put politics aside and come together and work together to fight the scourge of antisemitism and racism in this country.”
“I want to congratulate and thank the police for the arrests that they've been making and the staff at the Only About Children childcare centre, who were subject to this shocking attack. Those mongrels, the perpetrators of these crimes, will be caught and prosecuted, and there've been arrests over the last couple of days. In our community, our response to this shocking situation has been to work together, to choose unity over division, and to unite and come together to solve this challenge, rather than to take pot shots at each other in this place. We've chosen to adopt the approach represented by the mural that stands on that wall and the approach of those students who created it: harmony, respect and unity.”
“In December last year, I established the local Operation Shelter taskforce, with elected representatives, local police and leaders of Jewish synagogues and schools. We come together on a regular basis to cooperate and to plan actions to keep the community safe. We've had several meetings and there've been actions, including additional police patrols, helicopter surveillance and community support. But the most important thing is that we come together to talk, we come together to cooperate and we come together to work together. We have seen the largest police operation in Sydney since the Sydney Olympics, which is being undertaken to protect the Jewish community.”
“Over the last month, members of the Jewish community in our area and across Sydney have been subjected to some disgusting and terrifying antisemitic and racist attacks. I unequivocally condemn those attacks and their perpetrators for the shocking horror that they have brought to members of our Jewish community and I say to the Jewish community: I'm truly sorry that Jewish members of our community have had to endure these shameful actions. I've got many friends in the Jewish community. They are good people. They're law-abiding citizens who, like the rest of us, just want to go about their everyday lives. They deserve the right, like every Australian, to live in peace and to go about their lives in an ordinary manner.”
“We had students of the Jewish faith from Emanuel School, Indigenous students from Matraville Sports High School, students of the Christian faith from Corpus Christi, and Randwick Girls' High School students. They came together to create and to paint a mural, and theme of that mural is harmony, respect and unity. That mural still stands today, almost a decade later. Despite the firebombing of the Only About Children early childhood centre and the spray painting on 21 January of disgusting antisemitic words on the other side of that wall where the mural is, the mural has survived. That mural, designed and painted by students of different faiths and backgrounds, remains unharmed. The mural in itself is a symbol of the resilience and strength of our community and our resolve to fight antisemitism and racism in any form.”
“I'm very pleased to speak on behalf of my community in support of the motion moved by the member for Wentworth. In 2014, a group of primary school students from Mount Sinai College, in Maroubra, were racially abused with shocking antisemitic language whilst they were getting the bus home from school. Naturally there was outrage and concern from parents and the wider community. In the wake of that, I wanted to find a way to make it known that antisemitism and racism were abhorrent and did not represent what our community was about. So I came up with the idea of painting a mural on the side wall of the Only About Children childcare centre on Anzac Parade in Maroubra. I got students of different faiths and backgrounds from local schools to come together.”