Sunrise host Nat Barr has called on the Albanese government to take action following independent senator Lidia Thorpe’s threat to “burn down” Parliament House during a pro-Palestinian rally in Melbourne.
Thorpe made the remarks on Sunday, comparing the plight of Palestinians to that of Indigenous Australians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“We stand with you every day, and we will fight every day, and we will turn up every day and if I have to burn down Parliament House to make a point … I am not there to make friends,” Thorpe said.
Her comments were met with loud cheers from the gathered crowd.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek appeared alongside Barr and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce on Sunrise on Monday, where Barr pressed for a stronger government response, arguing that official condemnation so far had been insufficient.
“Well, of course what Lidia Thorpe has said is absolutely irresponsible, we just don’t want to give it extra airtime,” Plibersek said.
“What we know for sure is that Australians want to see peace in the Middle East. We’re holding our breaths. We want the hostages returned tonight as they’re supposed to be. We want to see aid back into Gaza, and the rebuilding of Gaza.
“We want to see peace in the Middle East. We don’t want to import the conflict here to Australia and we don’t want to give Thorpe any airtime at all (by making too much of the comments).”
Barr pushed further, asking whether the government planned to censure Thorpe for her remarks.
“I totally understand that. This is completely inflammatory. But when you have a senator saying she will burn down Parliament House, is there a step further than just (condemnation)? Can you censure her?” Barr asked.
Plibersek said any formal action would be considered later.
“That’s a matter to be decided down the track, but truly the last thing I want to be doing is promoting her or giving her the attention she so desperately craves,” she said.
“We need to focus on what we can do here in Australia. That is support a two-state solution and support whatever we can do to bring and assure peace in the Middle East.”
Plibersek described Australia as a “small player” in the regional conflict, saying citizens had the right to protest but must do so peacefully.
“When people make suggestions like this, that would encourage violence, we need to say that’s not on here. It’s not acceptable. But let’s not promote them. Let’s not give them more attention than they deserve,” she said.
Barr also questioned Joyce about the appropriate response to Thorpe’s comments.
“It demands a strong response of condemnation,” Joyce said.
“Senator Thorpe is turning into a pyromaniac. Now, she is talking about ‘from the river to the sea’, which has nothing to do with peace, it is to wipe out the Jewish people from Israel.
“(The war is) basically over. We have (Egypt’s leader) Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, US President Donald Trump, and Arab nations, who all agree.
“The Europeans will meet them in the Sinai (for the peace plan).
“So, what are they protesting about? It shows it’s not so much about what is happening in Gaza, it is a lot about getting rid of Jewish people by the sounds of things.
“It’s about ‘we don’t like the Jews’. That in itself demands a response.”
Joyce said it would be worth watching whether a motion to condemn Thorpe’s remarks would be raised in the Senate.
“Of course, in the Senate, you can move a motion condemning what she’s done, and it will be interesting to see whether the Labor Party support it,” he said.
“I presume that’s precisely what is going to happen.”
Barr concluded the segment by noting that Jewish groups had criticised Thorpe for having no connection to the Middle East, its people or the conflict.
Images: Sunrise
