Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has flagged his Government will soon release its strategy to combat hate, as he defended Labor’s record of responding to the rise in antisemitism attacks on Australia’s Jewish community. Source: News.com.au.
Mr Albanese has rejected calls for him to convene national cabinet in response to Friday’s alleged arson attack in Melbourne.
“Every time an issue comes up, people say, let’s have a national cabinet. Let’s be clear. What people want is not a meeting. They want action,” Mr Albanese said.
But he indicated he was working closely with Jillian Segal, the special envoy to combat antisemitism, and would release the details “in the coming days”.
“Jillian Segal has been doing a terrific job, and over the coming days we’ll have more to say,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Hobart yesterday.
“But, of course, we have responded substantially with increased security for synagogues, for Jewish schools, for community organisations.
“We’ll continue to engage constructively with the community to make sure that they get the support that they need.”
While quizzed by journalists, Mr Albanese snapped back at a reporter who said Jewish community leaders had claimed the Government’s response was “insufficient”.
The questions were in response to an alleged arson attack on the East Melbourne Synagogue on Friday night.
“Who is saying that? ”Mr Albanese asked in response, and said he had spoken to community leaders on Saturday.
“Every time there has been a request, it has been met, expeditiously.
“On Saturday, one of the reasons why this gentleman has been caught so quickly, is because the CCTV that was in place there was as a direct result of Commonwealth government funding.”
He went on to condemn antisemitism as a “scourge”.
“It has no place in Australia. And what we saw in Melbourne with the attacks that occurred are reprehensible, deserve condemnation and the gentleman concerned at the synagogue has been arrested and he should face the full force of the law.”
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Anthony Albanese defends Labor’s action against antisemitism after Melbourne synagogue fire (By Jessica Wang, News.com.au)
