During Mostyn’s address, however, Sen. Mehreen Faruqi, the deputy leader of the minor party Australian Greens, silently protested by holding up a sign in the chamber that read, “Sanction Israel, words won’t feed them, Gaza is starving.”
Individual Israelis, including government officials Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have been subject to travel and financial restrictions from Australia. However, the state has not been subject to more extensive sanctions from the Australian government.
Joint statement sparks debate
The united statement, according to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, was the toughest language his administration had used about the Gaza crisis.
Burke told ABC, “We’re all hoping that there’ll be something that breaks this when you can make a statement with so many other significant powers.”
We cannot defend what we are witnessing on the other side of the globe. Burke stated that while the war must cease, the captives must still be freed.
However, senior opposition senator Jonathan Duniam called it worrying that Australia was one of 27 countries to sign the statement.
“I think it is a sad turn of events for our government to have joined with other countries in signing this letter, but there is more to this issue than this letter betrays,” Duniam stated.
On a day rooted in centuries of British Westminster political history, Indigenous ceremonies were held in Parliament House to launch Australia’s 48th Parliament.
At a Welcome to Country ceremony, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed gratitude to the traditional proprietors of Canberra, the nation’s capital. He pointed out that a Labor government had instituted such ceremonies in 2007 to welcome visitors to Indigenous people’s ancestral lands at the beginning of a new parliament.
We write the next chapter in the 48th Parliament. Albanese urged us to approach it with the same bravery and grace that First Nations people display through their leadership.
Biggest Australian government majority since 1996
In the House of Representatives, which has 150 seats and is where governments are formed, Labor won 94 seats. In 1996, when the lower house had just 148 MPs, Prime Minister John Howard’s conservative coalition won 94 seats, making Labor’s majority the highest since then.
After a remarkable period of political volatility, Albanese is the first prime minister since Howard to lead a party to consecutive election victories. Howard held the position for over 12 years.
Following one of the worst election outcomes in the party’s history, the main opposition Liberal Party elected Susan Ley as its first female leader.
In the House, her conservative alliance has 43 seats, while independent lawmakers and smaller parties that are not part of the opposition or administration have 13.
The Senate has 76 seats, and no party has a majority. Conservatives hold 27 seats, while Labor holds 29. The second largest bloc, the Australian Greens, has 10 seats.
Instead of dealing with several independents and tiny parties, the government will probably choose to work with the conservatives or greens to pass legislation through the Senate.
Thanks to AP
Thanks to AP
Thanks to AP
Thanks to AP
