Question Time in Parliament turned into a fiery battleground as the Coalition sought to silence Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in the middle of his response on anti-Semitism.
The clash erupted after Dreyfus accused the Opposition of “politicising the issue,” leading to a dramatic intervention from Coalition MPs.
Parliament recently passed laws that introduced tougher measures against hate crimes, including bans on Nazi salutes and terror-related symbols. Labor had long resisted mandatory sentencing but ultimately allowed the provision to remain in the bill.
The tension began when Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley challenged Dreyfus over his stance on mandatory sentencing in the new laws.
Referring to a 2019 statement in which he had opposed mandatory minimums, Ley questioned why the attorney-general had backed new hate speech laws that included such penalties.
In response, Dreyfus said, “No government has done more to combat the abhorrent and shocking rise in anti-Semitism than this government,” and contrasted Labor’s legislative record with what he described as the Liberals’ empty rhetoric.
“The Liberals talk about it—this government acts.”
He highlighted that the Albanese government had criminalised the glorifying terrorist acts, possession of extremist materials, and doxxing.
“Those opposite voted against that,” he reminded Parliament, before defending the recent hate speech legislation as “the toughest laws Australia has ever had against hate crimes.”
Dreyfus also drew on personal experience, recounting visits to Auschwitz, the site of the Oct. 7 music festival massacre in Israel, and a firebombed synagogue in Melbourne.
“Those opposite have taken every opportunity since Oct. 7, 2023, to politicise the trauma and the experiences of Jewish people,” he said.
Coalition Moves to Cut Dreyfus Off
At this moment, Liberal MP Michael Sukkar, Manager of Opposition Business in the House, intervened, moving a motion that Dreyfus “no longer be heard.”The move sent shockwaves across the chamber, with Labor frontbenchers visibly stunned.
The attempt to silence Dreyfus escalated tensions, prompting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to enter the fray.
Heated exchanges followed as MPs from both sides waged over the motion’s legitimacy.
A Personal and Political Stand
Despite the attempt to cut him off, Dreyfus was eventually able to finish his statement, making an impassioned plea for unity.“I’m the son and grandson of Holocaust survivors. I attended the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation—a place where a million Jews were murdered, including my great-grandmother in 1942,” he said.
“We are facing a wave of anti-Semitism in this country right now. What we need is unity. We need bipartisanship, and that is the effort our government has made.”
