‘I stand with Israel’: Allegra Spender distances herself from pro-Palestine campaign volunteer

Candidates for the key seat of Wentworth have clashed over climate policy at a Jewish community debate, with one audience member firing up at the incumbent.

The Holmes a Court-backed candidate for the key seat of Wentworth says she did not know that one of her campaign volunteers had publicly voiced anti-Israel views.

Allegra Spender fronted up to an audience of Jewish voters in the eastern suburbs seat, which has a large population of Jewish people, and said the revelations were “baseless” and “rumours”.

In recently uncovered social media posts, her volunteer Blair Palese slammed Australia’s “shocking support of Israel in killing unarmed children and civilians”.

Ms Spender said she was unaware of Ms Palese’s controversial views — which contrast her claims that she is an ally to the Jewish community.

“I met her once after I decided to run because she’s an expert in climate change issues. So, we spoke a couple of times about climate change,” she told the Jewish community at the debate held by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies at Moriah College in Queens Park.

Independent candidate Allegra Spender addressed members of the NSW Jewish community in a federal election debate at Moriah College. Picture: Damian Shaw

“I did not know her views on Israel, because we never discussed them. Never. These are the facts. I stand with Israel; I always have and I always will.”

Ms Spender positioned herself as a lifelong ally of the Jewish community saying her own family’s Sunday afternoon lunch ritual was “our version of Shabbat dinner”.

Ms Spender debated Liberal MP Dave Sharma along with Labor MP for neighbouring electorate Kingsford Smith, Matt Thistlethwaite.

All three candidates promoted their ties to the Jewish community — which is prominent in both electorates — with Mr Thistlethwaite saying he was wearing a Kippah before he knew what it was.

Liberal candidate Dave Sharma told the audience he would push public broadcasters, particularly the ABC, to ensure its coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict is not antisemitic.

Liberal candidate Dave Sharma singled out the ABC for commentary on the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Picture: Damian Shaw

“If I’m re-elected, I’ll be urging our government to write formally to the chancellors of advisory councils of universities but also our public broadcasters, and especially the ABC I have to single out,” he said.

“We’ve seen far too much commentary about the Israeli-Arab conflict which feeds into antisemitism.”

Mr Sharma and Ms Spender were quizzed on where their preferences lie after the Jewish community expressed concerns that in Wentworth, Liberal preferences were being directed to UAP – a party the community says has worrying ties to antisemitism.

Mr Sharma said preferencing someone does not mean an “endorsement of their policies”.

“It’s just something you need to put on the ballot. I have a number one to seven,” he said.

Ms Spender said she didn’t wish to form a “coalition” with either major party to retain her independence, but she would work and “negotiate” with both sides in the event of a hung parliament.

Mr Sharma defended his decision to give his second preference to a UAP candidate.

Mr Thistlethwaite reassured voters that although he was recommending people to preference Greens second, Labor was a long-running supporter of Israel and would not align with the Greens on their views towards the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“The notion of entering into a coalition with the Greens and having to elicit their advice on policy, I think is fanciful,” he said.

“They’ve got one vote in the House of Representatives, one vote, and I can’t see them expanding on that at all.”

Climate change featured prominently in the debate with Mr Thistlethwaite calling it an “existential threat” and Ms Spender mentioning the issue in the first sentence of her opening line.

Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite described climate change as an “existential threat”. Picture: Damian Shaw

The Labor candidate said conservatives were spreading a scare campaign on climate change.

“We get this weaponisation from the conservatives, trying to scare communities into believing that if we have electric vehicles in Australia, that will be the end of the weekend,” he said.

“We’ve been held back by the conservatives and the Liberal party.”

Ms Spender questioned if the government had a “real commitment” to a target of net zero by 2050.

“I’m advocating for at least 50 per reduction in emissions by 2030. I’m doing that because it’s in our environmental interests, and I believe Australia should be a good citizen in relation to climate change … But I’m also doing this because it’s in our economic interest, it’s in our cost-of-living interest and it’s in our defence interests,” she said.

Mr Sharma said the government had “turned around” on climate change and rattled off their achievements but one audience member interjected, shouting “That’s a lie”.

An audience member accused Mr Sharma of “lying” about his party’s action on climate change. Picture: Damian Shaw

“Australia, despite what you hear, is actually making progress here … Until now, our emissions have reduced by 20 per cent – that’s more than the United States, that’s more than Japan, that’s more than Canada and it’s more than New Zealand,” he said.

When pushed on her plans for cost-of-living pressures, Ms Spender mentioned a number of policies — except they would come under state and local councils.

Ms Spender borrowed from NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and advocated for the reform of stamp duty to make housing more affordable.

“You need to do a review of the tax system because, you know, we have things like stamp duty, that is actually an inefficient tax. It makes houses more expensive … Why aren’t we dealing with those issues?” she said, prompting one audience member at the back of the room to say “that’s state”.

“We have 400 dwellings per 1000 people in the community, then that makes us the lowest in the OECD … and that’s maybe a state issue, that’s actually a council issue, but the federal government can be a leader here and say well look, where can we build these new houses?” she added.

Originally published as ‘I stand with Israel’: Allegra Spender distances herself from pro-Palestine campaign volunteer