Fury on the floor: Dutton and Albanese clash with Greens over Gaza protests

Labor and the Coalition have berated the Greens for lending support to pro-Palestinian activists who have targeted federal MPs and vandalised electoral offices, sparking a fierce debate in parliament over domestic protests and the war in the Middle East.

Greens leader Adam Bandt accused the government of being complicit in the Israeli invasion of Gaza after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton blamed the Greens for encouraging the protests.

At odds: Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Greens leader Adam Bandt and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Stung by the criticism from the two leaders, Bandt sought to condemn the government for shipping arms to Israel but was shut down after Labor MPs branded him a “fraud” and a “liar” who was spreading misinformation.

The final vote left the Greens isolated in parliament when Labor, the Coalition and crossbenchers including Kate Chaney, Zoe Daniel, Rebekha Sharkie, Allegra Spender, Zali Steggall and Kylea Tink voted in favour of adjourning the debate.

Labor MPs are increasingly angry about pro-Palestinian protests that have vandalised the electorate offices of caucus members including Peter Khalil, Ged Kearney, Lisa Chester and Daniel Mulino as well as ministers including Government Services Minister Bill Shorten, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.

With tempers flaring during an hour of argument on Wednesday, Speaker Milton Dick ordered Dreyfus to leave the House of Representatives for heckling Bandt, while the Greens leader received several warnings for yelling over others.

Adam Bandt in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Albanese responded to a question from independent MP Sophie Scamps about the need for social cohesion during the war in the Middle East, saying the parliament condemned the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israelis on October 7 and that the government had backed calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Right now, our communities are distressed. People, especially with relatives either in Israel or the occupied territories, are distressed,” he said.

“We have a responsibility to not add to that distress through misinformation. It is unacceptable that misinformation is being consciously and deliberately spread by some Greens senators and MPs who have engaged in this at demonstrations outside offices and online.

“That includes knowingly misrepresenting motions that are moved in this parliament.”

At issue is the way the Greens have portrayed a vote in the House that denied them time to put a motion calling for Palestinian statehood. Some Greens said this was a vote by the parliament to reject a Palestinian state. Labor MPs were incensed at this because they regarded the vote as a procedural matter, not a decision by the parliament on statehood.

Labor and the Coalition support a two-state solution including statehood for Palestinians on a settlement with Israel, although Foreign Minister Penny Wong has raised the prospects of other paths to recognition.

Albanese said the Greens should not make any remarks that encouraged protests that shut down electorate offices, saying they were anti-democratic because they stopped the work of elected MPs and their staff.

“Enough is enough. The time for senators and members of parliament to continue to inflame tensions outside these offices must end,” he said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton makes a statement supporting the government.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Dutton spoke after Albanese to give bipartisan support for condemning acts of violence wherever they take place, adding that a Jewish school he visited recently in Sydney required armed guards to keep students safe.

“We are seeing now the offices of elected members of parliament being targeted with red paint, with vile messages of hate, and discrimination and antisemitism – and it should be condemned,” Dutton said.

When Bandt rose to respond, he criticised Albanese and Dutton but made no criticism of the protests outside electorate offices or the vandalism that had been spoken about.

“This House is united in condemning antisemitism and condemning Islamophobia, and we also condemn the invasion of Gaza,” Bandt said.

“I will not be lectured to about peace and non-violence by people who backed the invasion of Gaza.”

Bandt spoke again after question time to intensify his attacks on Labor, saying the party was complicit in the Israeli invasion of Gaza and complicit in genocide.

“The prime minister, backed up by the leader of the opposition, come in here and make wide-ranging sprays, attempting to connect peaceful protests of people who are seeking to make their views heard about Labor’s complicity with genocide,” he said.

Bandt tried to move a motion to condemn the government because Australian suppliers made parts for the F35 fighter aircraft, which was used by Israeli forces to bomb people in Gaza.

Health Minister Mark Butler moved that Bandt be no longer heard so the parliament could move onto its scheduled business, leading to 92 members from Labor and the Coalition voting in favour of this. The five votes against comprised the four Greens and crossbencher Helen Haines.

As the count progressed, Bandt again accused Labor of being complicit in the invasion and refusing to call for a ceasefire.

This infuriated Labor MPs, given that Wong called for “steps toward a ceasefire” on November 12 and had made several calls for a ceasefire since. Australia voted with 152 countries at the United Nations in favour of a ceasefire six months ago.

The division in the House of Representatives.Credit: AAP

Employment Minister Tony Burke ended the debate by accusing the Greens of trying to “harvest votes” by misrepresenting the vote on statehood and misleading voters.

“I don’t see why misinformation coming from the left is somehow noble when misinformation coming from the right is so wrong,” Burke said.

“People in our electorates genuinely have a real fear of what is happening, and for them, it is not a political game.”

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.