Labor MP Mark Buttigieg implored to ‘disassociate’ from son who attended Sydney pro-Palestinian protest
The NSW Opposition has been accused of “rat sewer tactics” after the Liberal Leader told an MP to “condemn” his son for attending a pro-Palestinian rally.
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The NSW Opposition Leader has called for a Labor MP to publicly condemn his 19-year-old son for attending the controversial pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney on Monday night or be sacked.
Liberal Leader Mark Speakman issued an ultimatum to Premier Chris Minns to sack Mark Buttigieg, the multiculturalism secretary, if he didn’t do so.
The extraordinary call made been lashed the government and Mr Buttigieg who accused the Opposition of “rat sewer tactics” and “politicising the issue”.
Mr Buttigieg’s son Gerard was pictured at the protests. It’s understood the university student left before protesters began making anti-Semitic chants and engaged in widely criticised acts including burning the Israeli flag.
However, on Tuesday, Mr Speakman said that if Mr Buttigieg didn’t “condemn the actions of his son,” it would make his position as the parliamentary multiculturalism secretary untenable.
Mr Speakman said as the multiculturalism secretary, Mr Buttigieg was responsible for making sure culturally and linguistically diverse communities felt safe, protected and embraced.
“He either condemns it, or he resigns, or he is sacked,” he said.
“Of course, we can’t control the choices that our adult children make, but we can disown them and disassociate ourselves.
“He (Mr Buttigieg) has not done that.”
While Mr Buttigieg said he backed the Premier’s condemnation of the protests, he also said his son is an individual entitled to his own beliefs.
“I stand with the NSW Premier in condemning what occurred last night,” he said.
“The scenes we witnessed last night were absolutely horrible and do not represent the people of NSW. The actions of Hamas must be condemned.”
The upper house MP also lashed the Opposition Leader for his “sewer rat” politicisation of his son.
“To call for a Premier to sack an MP because his teenage son attends a rally is nothing short of sewer rat tactics,” he said.
“I think the person who should be considering their position is the Opposition Leader who has demeaned his role and cheapened the cause of the Israeli people by politicising the issue in bringing a politician’s child into it. It’s absolutely reprehensible and I’m disgusted by it.”
A NSW government spokesperson also said Mr Speakman’s comments were “completely inappropriate”.
“The NSW government’s position has been clear; what occurred last night is intolerable,” they said.
“However the Leader of the Opposition calling for a member of parliament to disown his 19-year-old son is completely inappropriate.”
A spokesman for Mr Speakman later clarified his comments were in reference to Mr Buttigieg disowning his son’s actions in his capacity as the parliamentary secretary for multiculturalism.
Earlier on Tuesday, Premier Chris Minns condemned the protest which he labelled as “abhorrent”.
Protesters met at the Town Hall in Sydney’s CBD at 5.30pm and marched to the Sydney Opera House where the monument was illuminated in the blue and white colours of the Israeli flag.
Later in the night, some members of the crowd made anti-Semitic chants, lit flares and set fire to the Israeli flag.
“I think that they’re the opposite of what we want in our modern multicultural community,” he said.
“To have some people celebrate atrocious indiscriminate killing and kidnapping in Israel is appalling.”
Originally published as Labor MP Mark Buttigieg implored to ‘disassociate’ from son who attended Sydney pro-Palestinian protest
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