Topics: Mount Scopus graffiti attack, University encampments, inaction of education minister and the Albanese Government
Chris Kenny: Let’s go to Melbourne now and catch up with Sarah Henderson, the shadow education minister, joining us actually from Canberra as it happens. Thanks for joining us Sarah. I know you started the day in Melbourne. You visited the Mount Scopus school where we’ve seen that horrible antisemitic graffiti attack. The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, visited the school as well today. Tell us what you think of his visit and what he had to say and do there.
Senator Henderson: Well, I was there a couple of hours after Richard Marles and also (Member for Mcnamara) Josh Burns, who I think has been a lone wolf in Labor in terms of being a very strong voice for the Jewish community. I have to say, after the terrible antisemitic attack on the school, which really shocked everyone, Chris, the Coalition stand, the zero tolerance stand that we are taking against antisemitism, was received very warmly by students and staff. I made it very clear that we will not tolerate antisemitism in any form. And of course, everyone is very aware of what the education minister Jason Clare is doing; not hauling in the VCs of universities, not taking a strong stand against the encampments, not shutting down antisemitism on university campuses. And of course, I spoke with a number of Year 12 students who are really concerned about going to universities like the University of Melbourne because of what’s going on there.
Chris Kenny: Yeah, it’s just terrible. Now, of course, it’s a good thing that the deputy Prime Minister went to the school and I don’t disagree with anything, Richard Marles said. But I’m hypercritical because there’s too little too late, because the government has done so little on this since October the 8th, to stamp this out and to show some authority and provide some leadership that they’re culpable for what’s going on. Now, they can’t undo what they did back in October last year, but the university campuses is where they can take some action. Surely, if they showed there that we won’t tolerate people urging an armed resistance, supporting the work of bloodthirsty terrorists? I mean, we have university students saying they openly support Hamas. This is hate speech. They’ve got to take some action.
Senator Henderson: They absolutely have to take action. And the failure to do so is a complete failure of leadership by the Prime Minister and by the education minister. We’re seeing weasel words, Chris but frankly, we are seeing no action. Where are the fines? Where is the police? When of course, students are breaching the law. And there is absolutely no doubt that the universities have been sitting on their hands in some respects when it comes to shocking incidents of discrimination, harassment intimidation. Jason Clare has not called for the encampments to be shut down, which are fuelling shocking levels of antisemitism, particularly at Melbourne Uni and Sydney Uni. Of course, he didn’t directly condemn the use of children when they were encouraged to chant `Intifada’. And as we know Jason Clare says `Intifada’ and `The River to the Sea’ means different things to different people. I think he is more concerned about the very large Muslim population in his electorate than about standing up for safety on university campuses, because frankly, every student is entitled to be safe at a university, including Jewish students and this government should be throwing the absolute book at universities. And it is a disgrace that he is basically doing next to nothing. A few words here and there that’s doing nothing.
Chris Kenny: It sure is Sarah. It is so disappointing and concerning for the country. Thank you for joining us.