Interview with Peter Stefanovic, First Edition

7 October 2024

PETER STEFANOVIC: Well joining us live now is the Shadow Finance Minister, Jane Hume. Jane, good to see you on this Monday morning, the government has been highly criticised for its confusing language as it tries to stride a few different paths when it comes to Israel that's fighting war on multiple fronts. The Prime Minister issued a fresh statement ahead of the anniversary condemning anti-semitism in all of its forms. What are your thoughts on that first of all?

JANE HUME: Pete, today, my colleagues and I will be right across the country at events that are commemorating the loss of 1200 Jewish lives on October the seventh, a year ago, and we'll also be grieving alongside the families of those that still have hostages over there. Over 100 hostages still remain in Gaza. These are the people that we're thinking of today, and politics should be put aside on a day like today. It's been an extraordinarily difficult year for Jewish Australians. This is a day that we should be standing alongside those members of our community who are grieving for those that are overseas after such an extraordinary year.

PETER STEFANOVIC: And what are your thoughts on those who aren't? And I note that these activists had their protests yesterday in Melbourne, in your state of Victoria, some seem to be celebrating this, this somber occasion. What are your thoughts on the fact that that happened?

JANE HUME: We've said that all Australians have the right to protest. That is part of our Western democracy and something that we should be proud of. But understand this, that on October the seventh, it was Jewish lives that were lost. 1200 Jewish lives that were lost, 250 hostages taken, over 100 of whom remain. There were no Palestinian lives that were lost on October the seventh. So if you are protesting to stand with Palestine, you can do that on any day around today. But not today. Today is the day that we should stand with the Jewish community and grieve with them for the loss of lives they have experienced on October the seventh, which was the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.

PETER STEFANOVIC: Like you said, today is a day for somber reflection, but just looking ahead, a new sitting week is upon us. What will you be targeting this time around?

JANE HUME: Today is going to be all about making sure that we stand with Australia's Jewish community. This week, it will be back to politics as normal, but there's going to be some explanation for the Government to do. Finally, Richard Marles has come out and been clear that Australia stands with Israel, that we stand with Israel's right to defend itself, and we stand with Israel's right to respond. But it's taken a year to get to this point. The Prime Minister has been weak. He has equivocated, he has prevaricated and he's done so for the sake of politics, rather than standing on principle. There is genuine concern that we have abandoned Israel, one of our allies at the UN, that we have called for a ceasefire prematurely. We have done so without a demand for the return of the hostages, without an understanding of the peace process that must exist before a two state solution can be found. The drift away from the bipartisan position that Australia has had on a two state solution has happened on Labor's watch. They will have questions to answer around that this week, but today should be all about standing by Jewish Australians as they grieve for the loss of lives and those hostages that still remain.

PETER STEFANOVIC: Okay, that's Shadow Finance Minister, Jane Hume, thank you for your time this morning.