Public Service Association pro-Palestinian unionists push for NSW government boycott of Hewlett Packard over Israel

There are calls for Premier Chris Minns to step in and demand answers over a taxpayer funded charity hosting an anti-Israel boycott forum by NSW public servants.

NSW public servant unionists are trying to pressure the Minns government into dropping contracts with computing giant Hewlett Packard (HP) because it provides computers for Israel – sparking condemnation from Jewish groups.

A taxpayer-funded charity based at Parramatta, the Arts and Cultural Exchange, is hosting a forum by a group called “Public Service Association (PSA) Unionists for Palestine and NSW Public Servants” on Wednesday to discuss “what public sector workers can do” to boycott HP.

The forum, to be attended by Greens Newtown MP Jenny Leong, says the state government has given HP at least $24 million in current contracts.

Around the world pro-Palestinian activists have been pushing for a boycott of the multinational company HP claiming it “provides computer hardware to the Israeli army and maintains data centres through their servers for the Israeli police”.

Australian Palestinian activists have not organised any boycott campaigns on noted human rights abusing countries such as China, Pakistan, Iran or on any other Middle Eastern nations cited by the UN for abusing human rights which surround the democratic state of Israel.

Greens MP for Newtown Jenny Leong is due to speak at the “PSA for Palestine Unionists Boycott of Hewlett Packard” event on Wednesday, May 1. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

The promotional material for the Parramatta evening forum claims “NSW public servants have begun a campaign to boycott HP because of it role in supporting Israel’s genocide against Palestine”.

“Join our panel of guest speakers to discuss the role of HP in the current genocide and what public sector workers can do.”

The charity hosting the event, ACE, receives 85 per cent of its revenue from government funds, including $491,466 in 2022 from Create NSW.

The promoters of the boycott, PSA for Palestine, use the name and variations of the logo of the PSA union – but union boss Stewart Little said it was not authorised.

“They are not authorised, nothing to do with us,” he said.

Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory said charities such as ACE who rely on taxpayer money are not meant to be promoting boycotts and “hatred”.

“This event is designed to spread division, intolerance and hatred,” he said.

A flyer by a group calling itself "PSA For Palestine" for an event on Wednesday 1 May at the Parramatta-based ACE charity, promoting a boycott of HP in government contracts.

“NSW taxpayer money should not be subsiding events that seek to create division in society and contribute to rising anti-Semitism.

“Premier Chris Minns needs to step in and demand some accountability on where his government is sending taxpayer money.

“In addition, there are rules for charities operating in Australia and surely promoting hatred and boycotts is not a legitimate activity.”

A spokesman for ACE said they had not organised the event.

“The upcoming forum is organised by an external group, who simply want to hold a forum to discuss the international boycotting of Hewlett Packard,” ACE said in a written statement.

“We have been assured that it will be an open and respectful panel discussion and will not promote hatred towards any community.”

Patrons of the cultural institution, which is meant to “use creativity to reverse disadvantage”, wrote last week to ACE to complain, saying they had taken their children there in the past and the event would “cause anti-Semitism”.

In response, ACE executive director Anne Loxley replied in a letter stating the event “will not promote hatred towards any community but instead will be a discussion around a corporate organisation”.

“We support freedom of speech…this includes providing our space to discuss important matters relating to our communities including Truth Telling in terms of Australian history, the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, the greater Middle East conflict and ensuring safe spaces for Western Sydney trans youth from CALD backgrounds.”

Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a $24 million contract with NSW Health to help develop the state’s e-Health strategy, and provide a private digital cloud space.

Premier Chris Minns’ office declined to comment on whether the premier would act on the boycott calls, but said “Arts and Cultural Exchange (ACE) programming matters are matters for ACE”.

Ms Leong declined to comment.

HP referred queries about the boycott campaign to a statement it made in 2021, that “the misinformation about HP Inc. being circulated by some on social media is unfortunate and untrue”.

“As a matter of policy, we do not take sides in political disputes between countries or regions.”

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