Middle East

Senator VAN (Victoria) (14:43): My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Minister Watt. In light of the recent protests concerning the conflict in Gaza and the disturbing effects felt in our communities, there is a growing concern about their impact on the social cohesion within Australian society. Would the minister agree that these events are, indeed, affecting our society, and in what ways?

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management) (14:44): Senator Van, you raise a very important issue in our country at moment. As Senator Wong, the Prime Minister and many others have already acknowledged, this is a deeply distressing time for many in Australia. That includes members of our Jewish community, who lost loved ones in the abhorrent attacks by Hamas on 7 October. It also includes members of our Palestinian community, who have lost loved ones in the conflict that has followed. Of course, it also includes many others across our community who feel very deeply about this issue. The thing that the government has been saying over and over again throughout the last few weeks is that as Australians, whoever we are, whatever part of the community we come from, we must maintain respect for each other and for each other's humanity. All Australians, no matter what their religion or what their racial background—whoever they are—have a right to be safe and feel safe, and no-one in this country should be fearful because of who they are or because of their faith. Everyone must be able to worship and to practice their faith without fear, intimidation or interference. There is no place for prejudice, no place for antisemitism and no place for Islamophobia in Australia.

Australians are rightly distressed by the events that are unfolding in the Middle East, and I know many members of the government, many members of the opposition and probably you, Senator Van, have met with leaders of Australian Palestinian, Muslim and Jewish communities from all around the country in an attempt to try to bring people together. We need to remember that as political leaders we do have a responsibility to unite the country in difficult moments like the one that we're going through now, rather than inflame tensions by seeking political advantage, backing in one side and not another, or making selective comments. All that does is drive our community apart rather than bring people together, which is exactly what we should be doing right now. We are very concerned about the level of social cohesion, and we look forward to working with all senators who have an interest in this.

The PRESIDENT: Senator Van, first supplementary?

Senator VAN (Victoria) (14:46): Given the potential implications of the protests on our social cohesion and community safety, could the minister outline what measures the Department of Home Affairs is implementing to monitor and address any instances of foreign interference that might be triggering or exacerbating this disruption to our national unity?

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management) (14:46): At both ministerial and departmental level, the government is acting very strongly on these matters. Within the Department of Home Affairs, of course, one of the sub-agencies is ASIO, who have a primary role on this matter. ASIO is well aware of and well equipped to deal with the threat of foreign interference in our country. ASIO is monitoring for any foreign interference activity, particularly in light of recent events. The counter foreign interference taskforce, which is jointly led by ASIO and the Australian Federal Police, works to identify, investigate and disrupt foreign interference. That taskforce brings together the AFP, ASIO, AUSTRAC, the Australian Signals Directorate, the AGO and the ONI, all working on how we can counter foreign interference, which may be inflaming social tensions like that which you're describing. As you would understand, it wouldn't be appropriate to comment too much further on matters of national security, but in addition to this the government is receiving regular security briefings about the situation and taking appropriate action. (Time expired)

The PRESIDENT: Senator Van, second supplementary?

Senator VAN (Victoria) (14:47): Does the minister agree that foreign interference, particularly through social media platforms, poses a significant threat to the fabric of Australian society and has the capacity to cause real and irrevocable damage to our communities?

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management) (14:48): Yes, I would agree that foreign interference through social media has the types of effects that you're talking about. That is one of the reasons why, at this very moment in time, the government is preparing legislation around misinformation. I can't remember whether you've commented on this, Senator Van, but I know there have been many speakers on that side of the chamber who have queried the need or the government's motivation in relation to that misinformation legislation, but it's exactly to deal with the types of issues you're talking about. We are seeing greater levels of foreign interference, including on social media, spreading factually baseless information—things that are just straight-out wrong—and, again, inflaming social tensions. We regard espionage and foreign interference as Australia's principal security concern. More Australians are being targeted for espionage and foreign interference than at any time in Australia's history. We need to work harder on this, and that's exactly why we're taking the types of actions I've been going through.