What has happened to the Right of the New South Wales (NSW) Labor Party?
For many years, it was regarded as the home of principled parliamentarians who sought to put the good of the nation ahead of personal ambitions. Not that ambition was absent, but it was motivated by higher things.
Unlike Victoria, the NSW Labor Party did not split in the 1950s.
The historic influence of Christians—especially Catholics—remained a powerful force moderating the radical left, resulting in the party holding government in the state for much of the time since then, and contributing significantly to Labor’s success nationally.
That principled stance seems to have been weakened by the recent events in Israel, in particular, the terrorist attack on innocent people by Hamas last October.
Hundreds of innocent people murdered and hundreds of others kidnapped, of which 134 men, women, and children are still being held in captivity.
The events resulted in scenes of jubilation by large groups of Palestinian supporters, especially at the Sydney Opera House, as well as elsewhere in capital cities. Protests at various universities resulted, as well as ongoing demonstrations.
Statements supporting the murder and kidnapping were made by supporters.
Perhaps the most egregious was by Sydney Sheik Ibrehim Dadoun, who was filmed telling a crowd: “I’m smiling and I’m happy. I’m elated. It’s a day of courage. It’s a day of pride. It’s a day of victory. This is the day we’ve been waiting for!”
While many national political figures have unequivocally condemned anti-Semitic statements, some have been reluctant.
They include a number of members of the NSW Labor Right who represent Sydney electorates in the Australian Parliament, including Ministers Tony Burke, Chris Bowen, and Jason Clare.
Mr. Burke did not condemn the remarks of the preacher in his electorate in the days following their publication. Mr. Bowen merely said that he supported the prime minister’s position.
More recently, Mr. Clare claimed he did not know the meaning of the expression “from the river to the sea,” a pro-Palestinian chant to wipe out Israel; that is, to eliminate the state of Israel which sits between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
According to him, the statement could mean “different things to different groups.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to refute Mr. Clare’s equivocation, albeit after the failure of other MPs to condemn anti-Semitism.
Leaders Must Lead, Not Follow
Their silence stands in stark contrast to NSW Premier Chris Minns.The Muslim population in a number of seats is significant.
Mr. Bowen’s seat of McMahon has 14 percent Muslims; Mr. Burke’s seat of Watson has 25 percent, and Mr. Clare’s seat of Blaxland has 32 percent, according to the Muslim Votes Matter website.
A member of Parliament is not a delegate. He or she is elected to listen to all the voices in a debate and bring a considered judgment to the issues.
As Edmund Burke insisted when he told the electors of his new constituency of Bristol in 1774:
“Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
“To deliver an opinion, is the right of all men; that of constituents is a weighty and respectable opinion, which a representative ought always to rejoice to hear; and which he ought always most seriously to consider.
“But authoritative instructions; mandates issued, which the member is bound blindly and implicitly to obey, to vote, and to argue for, though contrary to the clearest conviction of his judgment and conscience—these are things utterly unknown to the laws of this land, and which arise from a fundamental mistake of the whole order and tenor of our constitution.
“You choose a member indeed; but when you have chosen him, he is not member of Bristol [or Watson, McMahon or Blaxland], but he is a member of parliament. If the local constituent should have an interest, or should form an hasty opinion, evidently opposite to the real good of the rest of the community, the member for that place ought to be as far, as any other, from any endeavour to give it effect.”
Silence and equivocation offend this basic principle of parliamentary democracy.
Unless members are prepared to resist the parochial directions and mandates of constituents, our system of government is weakened.
The much-championed Australian multiculturalism is now threatening to undermine the liberal principles that underpin our system of government.
I Know From Experience
I know from personal experience the insistence by some constituents that I act upon their mandates rather than my considered judgment.When I sponsored a bill to overturn the Northern Territory’s euthanasia legislation, many of my constituents disagreed. They supported an independent candidate who sought to oust me at three elections.
I resisted this pressure, having formed the judgment that the Northern Territory law was misguided and dangerous.
The consequences of appeasing electorally powerful groups are evident in the recent UK council elections.
A number of new councillors, who were successful because of the large Muslim population, have issued demands on the national government and the UK opposition.
These demands included recognising the Palestinian state, ending military ties with Israel, sanctions on companies operating in occupied territories, a ban on travel by Israeli politicians, and removing definitions of “extremism.”
Most of the demands are unrelated to the duties of local government. The groups supporting the election of the new councillors have also indicated that they will target candidates at the next national election.
The pressures on Parliamentarians to follow mandates undermines their duty to use their judgment.
Members of parliament should condemn anti-Semitism unequivocally, not pander to illiberal voices in their electorates.
