TRANSCRIPT
Putting forward a motion to condemn a summer of fear.
Allegra Spender's electorate in Sydney's east - repeatedly marked by antisemitism's stain.
Ms Spender says that kind of behaviour does not truly represent Australia.
"It broke my heart last year, when a mother told me her pre-school age daughter was taking part of a Hanukkah celebration, and the only thing she could think is, she's so happy, she's so proud to be Jewish, she has no idea, how many people hate it. But the message today is to say that those who hate on the basis of religion, those who perpetrate crimes on the basis of religion, do not represent the Australian community."
The first sitting day of the year saw both houses of parliament voting unanimously to denounce antisemitism in the country
It follows the rise in antisemitic violence, ranging from childcare centres being set alight in Sydney, to arson attacks on synagogues.
A coalition push to introduce mandatory sentencing for offenders was quashed.
Labor Party M-P Josh Burns once thought the defacing of his office in June last year, was the worst it would get.
Now, eighty years after the liberation of Auschwitz, he says his community is reliving past persecution.
"I can't ...I dread turning on my phone and looking at the news and seeing another attack. We want this to be over. So we need to commit ourselves and take on the full responsibility of taking this on and doing whatever that is in our power to combat it."
The common thread is conspiracy, dehumanisation and hatred.
For Jewish coalition M-P Julian Leeser, the aftermath from the Adass synagogue firebombing, lingers.
"What the pictures don't convey is the burnt damp smell that still pervades the air. The scenes are shocking. The twisted middle air conditioners, the charred remains of chairs. The burnt honour boards now impossible to read that contain the names of people whose lives have been dedicated to community. And the cavity in the wall stripped bare to the brick shell where the Torah scrolls, the holiest objects in the synagogue, were kept. And the knowledge that there were people in the synagogue when it was bombed and that lives could have been lost."
It was the start of escalating turmoil.
"The only thing that will solve antisemitism in this country is tough measures, strong leadership and stronger laws. That is what is needed in Australia today."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among those condemning antisemitism after Ms Spender tabled her motion in the House of Representatives.
"We have not wavered, antisemitism stands in opposition to all we are as a nation and all we have built together over generations. It has no place in our nation and we'll combat it with the full force of our laws and with total commitment from every level of government."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says this is a national crisis.
"This is a time of national crisis. And it has been brewing away and been in the making for a long period of time."
This - as he reflects on the past year.
"People within the Jewish community, their friends, their supporters, and every Australian of good endeavour, and of big heart has been condemning of the inaction that we've seen over the course of the last twelve months."
Motions have been passed unanimously in the house and senate.
And efforts by the coalition were made to demand mandatory minimum sentences for terror offenders.
James Paterson is the Opposition spokesperson for Home Affairs.
"Even more important than words is action, and what the Jewish community has been asking of government's - state and federal in this country, 15 months now is for actions to accompany the words of condemnation."
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe moved a second amendment, calling for the addition of the word racism to be added to the motion.
Crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie becoming visibly emotional.
"This is not about politics, this is about saying you know what we're here for you, we have your backs, we don't always get this right, but we have you. And you're in our sights and that we love you. And that we will do everything we can to protect you and your families. We don't make amendments here, this is what this is about today. It's about coming together on something so important to let them know that we stand together as one."
The debate over community safety and strained social cohesion will be further amplified, as parliament considers hate speech legislation this week.
The government proposing strengthened criminal penalties for threatening force or violence against protected groups, including on the basis of race and religion.
Ms Spender proposing late changes to specifically address the promotion of hate.
"Words are the start of many things that we don't want as a country. And so when we consider how to stop antisemitism but frankly how to stop different types of hatred in our community. We need to consider how words are being used to drive some of this."
An amendment was drafted with the input of Jewish leaders.
Peter Wertheim is the Executive Jewish Council of Australian Jewry's co-Chief Executive.
"They're unusable and unworkable. We don't want another unusable and unworkable law, we want something that works."
As for the LGBTIQ+ community, Anna Brown from Equality Australia stresses the need for the parliament to stand against hatred and violence.
"We only need to look at the events in outside Victorian Parliament, where trans and gender diverse people were targeted and Neo Nazis called for their destruction. It is a scary and frightening world out there and this parliament must stand against hatred as well as violence and stand together against this sort of harm that our community faces."
The Attorney-General is yet to say whether Labor will consider this amendment.
With the Parliament now urged to again demonstrate unity, in passing the laws unanimously.
