Senators Lidia Thorpe and Fatima Payman have co-sponsored a package of Bills to be introduced to the Senate today, which seeks to protect vulnerable populations from the risk of genocide and atrocity crimes. The package of bills was initiated and developed by international human rights experts and lawyers.
Click here to read about the three ‘Red Lines’ Bills to be introduced today.
The package aims to strengthen the nation’s commitment to international human rights standards, prevention of genocide, and greater accountability in financial, trade, and foreign policy.
In the past year alone, the Australian Government gave over $20 billion of public money to defence companies on a "red alert" list from the United Nations. These companies are involved in supplying weapons and ammunition to Israel, a country that has been ordered by the International Court of Justice to stop actions that could lead to genocide.
Because of Australia’s close relationship with these companies through the AUKUS alliance, Australia hasn't placed any punishments or sanctions on them.
Quotes attributable to Lidia Thorpe, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung independent Victorian Senator:
"This country has a legal duty to prevent genocide.
"This reform package, which includes three critical pieces of legislation, seeks to uphold Australia's responsibility to prevent atrocities, protect vulnerable communities, and ensure that Australian institutions are not complicit in serious human rights violations worldwide.
"This is an important step in making sure that this country does not turn its back on genocide and mass atrocities happening across the globe.
"If this country is to be a global leader in human rights, we must ensure our economic activities do not contribute to or enable genocidal violence.
"These bills will ensure that this country’s institutions are held to the highest standards of accountability when it comes to respecting human rights and preventing crimes against humanity, including genocide.
"I hope that the Albanese government does the right thing and supports this package."
Quotes attributable Senator Fatima Payman
"While us, in this place, concern ourselves with the two-party preferred, the netsats and demographic analysis, the people of Palestine are worried about whether their building is going to be hit by a US-made 2,000 pound bomb, whether their daughter is going to be left paralysed by an Israeli Offence Force sniper, or whether the starvation and infection that is so prevalent in Gaza will take away another of their few surviving family members”
"Last month, at a press conference for the People United Against Genocide, I asked 'How many more need to be killed before this government has the courage to call it for what it is? To call it a genocide?'…I shouldn’t have asked 'how many more need to be killed', I should have asked 'how low does the Labor primary vote need to go?'"
Quotes Attributable to Dr Sophie Rigney, Senior Lecturer RMIT Law; and former lawyer at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia:
"This package provides practical measures to ensure Australia complies with its international obligations, and at the same time to protect Australian businesses from being complicit in grave human rights abuses.
"These bills will ensure it’s not 'good for business' to profit from genocide and apartheid."