Thu 31 Jul
This blog is now closed
If you want to know how much the government position on Palestine has shifted, late yesterday just before the senate rose, it passed an amended motion (the Greens put up a motion, the government changed some words and then passed it) which said
That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:
Hello and welcome to the final day of this first sitting fortnight.
We. Made. It.
Almost.
There is still lots to get through – not in terms of legislation – that has stuck to a fairly manageable pace – but in terms of the politics.
We know that Australia is preparing to recognise Palestine as it’s own state. That has been confirmed. It is not a question of if, but when. And as with everything in this cautious government, Albanese is positioning Australia to not be among the first, but not the last either. So not boldness or bravery, but not dragged to the inevitable. Somewhere in the middle. Some would say it is the least they can do (it’s me, I’m saying it).
The Coalition meanwhile are stuck somewhere in an imaginary land where they think they can dictate terms, claiming recognising Palestine shouldn’t happen until the end of a peace process.
Well, OK Michaelia, but if even the UK government are saying they will recognise Palestine IF the Israeli government refuses to commit to an immediate ceasefire, sustained peace and the free flow of aid with UN and accredited agencies in control of distribution, then maybe they know something the Coalition doesn’t or can no longer pretend to ignore. The UK’s statement yesterday is an implicit admission of Israel’s role in delaying a ceasefire, aid and an end to the slaughter we have been seeing and you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s not just the horrendous images we are (still, two years on) seeing coming from Gaza, because of brave Palestinians who continue to show us what is happening, it’s also because the political situation in the UK has shifted. Former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Labour MP Zarah Sultana have announced a new party and initial independent polling shows they could pick up 10% of the vote – and that is after just announcing the party.
So if you don’t think that has Keir Starmer and his colleagues in Labour worried, then well, I’d love to see your doctor for whatever script that is. And if you don’t think Australian Labor, with all its links to labour movements across the world aren’t seeing the shift, then well, perhaps it might also be time to reveal Santa Claus isn’t real.
So that’s the politics of what we are dealing with in Australia – seeing the inevitable wave start to crash down, and not wanting to be at the bottom of it. I grew up at the Gold Coast and I know that if you can’t push over a wave, or duck under it, then you need to learn how to either ride it, or keep enough of your wits about you to get out of the wash. That’s what is happening here.
So stay with us as we unpick the continuing wash of Australian politics before the stampede to the Canberra airport gets underway.
You have Amy Remeikis with you again (and her five coffees) and two very sleepy cats (cranky because I woke them up again) for most of the day.
Ready? I am not. But still, let’s get into it.