Opposition Leader Demands PM Reverse Palestinian Recognition After Hamas Praise
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley called on the Prime Minister to reverse Australia's recognition of Palestinian statehood Thursday, arguing the decision was fundamentally flawed because Hamas has praised the move.
"The problem is that Hamas is a cheerleader for him," Ley told reporters in Adelaide. "And when you have terrorists cheering on your foreign policy, you know that you've got it wrong."
Ley's remarks came during a press conference where she criticized multiple aspects of the government's recent policy decisions, including what she described as a deteriorating relationship with the United States and concerns about an upcoming Productivity Roundtable.
The opposition leader said the Prime Minister had initially justified the Palestinian recognition by claiming Hamas opposed the decision, but Lee argued the opposite had occurred.
"The Prime Minister said he made this decision because Hamas did not support it," Ley said. "But instead we see Hamas coming out in full-throated praise of the Prime Minister."
Ley described Hamas's response as "full-throated praise" and said the terrorist organization was "calling our Prime Minister a man of courage." She argued this support from Hamas should prompt immediate reconsideration of the policy.
"When terrorists are cheerleaders for your foreign policy, you need to think again and reverse that position," Ley said.
The opposition leader emphasized that while her party supports a two-state solution, recognition of Palestinian statehood should only occur through proper diplomatic channels.
"We cannot have recognition of a Palestinian state ahead of a proper peace process and two-state solution process," Ley said. "There can be no reward for terrorism, and there can be no recognition without peace."
Lee said the coalition wants to see an end to the current conflict, including the release of Israeli hostages and humanitarian aid for Palestinians, but insisted these goals cannot be achieved by rewarding terrorist organizations.
US Relations Under Strain
Lee also raised concerns about the state of Australia's relationship with the United States, describing it as "drifting" and positioning Australia as a "bystander."
"It's vital that the Prime Minister addresses this issue because right now the relationship between Australia and the US feels as if it is drifting and that Australia is indeed a bystander in that relationship," Lee said.
She noted that the last American president to visit Australia was Barack Obama in 2014, describing this as "a long time ago." Ley said there had been "280 days of no meeting, no face-to-face catch-up, no prospect of that meeting" between the current leaders.
The opposition leader argued that strong US-Australia relations are particularly crucial given current global circumstances, including the strategic rise of China and conflicts in the Middle East.
"This means the alliance is more important than ever," Lee said. "And it is not right for it to be drifting the way it is."
Ley referenced comments from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom she described as "a good friend of Australia," who reportedly said unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood could be "an obstacle to peace" and make a ceasefire "less likely."
"He should pay attention to what the serious people in the room are saying on this subject," Ley said of the Prime Minister.
Productivity Roundtable Criticism
Ley launched a scathing attack on the government's Productivity Roundtable, describing it as a "stitch up" based on leaked information suggesting predetermined outcomes.
"What those leaks suggest is that this whole exercise is being choreographed and that outcomes have already been determined and written up, almost ready to announce," Ley said. "That just tells me this whole thing is a stitch up."
She said participants were attending "in good faith" hoping to contribute to discussions about improving productivity and raising living standards, but expressed concern they might be wasting their time.
The opposition leader connected the roundtable to broader concerns about tax policy, accusing the government of breaking promises not to raise taxes.
"We have a Treasurer and a Prime Minister who are breaking promise after promise to the Australian people, including a promise that they would not raise taxes," Ley said. "And all along, they're lining up an exercise at this productivity roundtable that is all about raising taxes."
Housing Policy Challenges
Ley also criticized the government's housing policy, referencing leaked Treasury advice that she said indicated the government cannot deliver on its promise to build 1.2 million homes.
"Further leaked Treasury advice indicated the government can't possibly build 1.2 million homes as it has promised to do and closely associated with that is the fact that it has no idea how to actually execute this promise," Ley said.
She noted that approximately 50% of home building costs come from factors other than construction itself, suggesting the government needs to address broader issues affecting housing affordability.
Ley described the housing promise as "broken" and criticized the government for giving false hope to young Australians seeking homeownership.
"It's just such a broken promise to tell young Australians that you have a plan for them to have home ownership and a roof over their head and cost of living that is coming down because of that and none of this is actually what you intend to deliver or have any idea how to deliver," Ley said.
Coalition's Position on Policy Reviews
Despite her criticism of the roundtable's process, Lee said the coalition would examine any "sensible suggestions" that emerge from the discussions.
"We will look at any sensible suggestions that come from the Productivity Roundtable. Of course we will," Lee said. "But when I read information that says it's all been choreographed, it's all been lined up, even to the level of announcements being made from outcomes, I wonder whether people who are attending this roundtable are indeed wasting their time."
Ley said the coalition would support good ideas from the government but would not hesitate to oppose policies that would increase taxes on working Australians.
"If they come forward with bad ideas, we won't hesitate to call them out and to fight on behalf of hardworking Australians who would expect that of us," Ley said. "What we won't do is accept an agenda that raises taxes on hardworking Australians, particularly because that's exactly what the government promised it would not do."
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Response to Hamas Comments
When pressed about taking seriously comments from Hamas, Lee maintained her position while acknowledging the organization's record of deception.
"I'm not going to take seriously comments made by a listed terrorist organisation that carried out the atrocities that it did on October the 7th on Israel's southern border, that has lied to its own people, that has lied to the world," Lee said.
She described Hamas as an organization that "has held Palestinians, innocent Palestinians, hostage, that has refused them food aid, and that is now strutting around on the international stage applauding the countries that are giving that recognition to an independent Palestinian state at this point of time."
Ley concluded: "I am not responding to comments by Hamas and nor am I taking them seriously."
Historical Context on Two-State Support
When questioned about her previous support for Palestinian statehood, Ley clarified that the coalition continues to support a two-state solution but opposes recognition outside of a proper peace process.
"If the Prime Minister wants to remind Australians of my support, indeed the Coalition's support for a two-state solution, that's not a bad thing," Ley said. "Because we do support a two-state solution, but we don't support it outside of a proper peace process and a proper two-state process."
The opposition leader's comments came as international attention focuses on various countries' positions regarding Palestinian statehood recognition and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Ley emphasized that lasting peace in the region would need to be "brokered by the US," reinforcing her criticism of the current state of Australia-US relations.
Economic Productivity Concerns
Ley's criticism of the Productivity Roundtable comes amid broader concerns about Australia's economic performance and declining living standards. She described the current environment as showing "a rapid decline in living standards, a faster decline than anywhere else in the developed world."
The opposition leader suggested that genuine productivity discussions were being undermined by the government's apparent predetermined agenda, particularly around taxation policy.
"People are attending in good faith and they want to contribute to a discussion about improving productivity in this country and raising the living standards for all Australians," Ley said.
She referenced the Productivity Commission's previous work, saying it "has come through with many different ideas in several papers," and committed to reviewing Treasury recommendations constructively.
"I've said we will be constructive if the government comes forward with a good idea, we'll have a good look at it," Ley said.
Alliance Partnership Dynamics
Ley emphasized the transcendent nature of the Australia-US alliance, arguing it should survive changes in political leadership in both countries.
"The alliance does transcend any administration, any government, any prime minister, or any president," Lee said.
She noted the importance of maintaining relationships "across both aisles, in both countries" and described Marco Rubio as "a good friend of Australia."
Despite emphasizing the alliance's durability, Ley maintained that Australia's current position as what she termed a "bystander" was shared by others, though she did not specify who else held this view.
The opposition leader's characterization of the relationship as "drifting" reflects broader concerns about Australia's strategic positioning during a period of increased global tensions and shifting international alignments.
Construction and Housing Costs
Ley provided specific details about housing construction challenges, noting that building costs extend far beyond actual construction work.
"We know today that maybe 50% of the cost of building a home is actually not the building of the home itself but other factors," Ley said.
She connected these cost factors to broader questions about the government's housing delivery capabilities and suggested the administration lacked a clear implementation strategy.
The opposition leader also referenced potential changes to the National Construction Code as one of the recommendations under consideration, though she did not specifically endorse or oppose such modifications.
"We'll look at all the Treasury ideas and obviously the Productivity Commission has come through with many different ideas in several papers," Ley said when asked about construction code reforms.
Government Promise-Keeping Record
Throughout her remarks, Ley repeatedly emphasized what she characterized as the government's pattern of breaking promises to Australian voters, particularly around taxation policy.
She argued that the Productivity Roundtable represented another example of the government pursuing policies contrary to its campaign commitments.
"They're lining up an exercise at this productivity roundtable that is all about raising taxes," Ley said, connecting the roundtable to broader concerns about fiscal policy direction.
The opposition leader suggested voters should "watch closely" as the government's agenda becomes clearer through the roundtable process and subsequent policy announcements.
Media and Information Sources
Ley credited "Good Journalism from the ABC" for revealing information about the Productivity Roundtable's allegedly predetermined outcomes through leaked documents.
She suggested these leaks provided insight into the government's approach to policy development and consultation processes.
"What those leaks suggest is that this whole exercise is being choreographed," Ley said, indicating the opposition was closely monitoring media reports about government activities.
Strategic Regional Context
The opposition leader placed her foreign policy criticism within a broader framework of regional strategic challenges, specifically mentioning "the strategic rise of China" and "conflicts in the Middle East" as factors making the US alliance more crucial.
"Many in the room today are reflecting the critical juncture at this time in history and the importance of the alliance with respect to that," Ley said.
She described current "geostrategic circumstances" as requiring stronger, not weaker, alliance relationships between Australia and the United States.
Future Policy Directions
Ley outlined the coalition's approach to evaluating government policies, emphasizing a willingness to support beneficial measures while opposing those that contradict coalition principles.
"If the government comes forward with a good idea, we'll have a good look at it. If they come forward with bad ideas, we won't hesitate to call them out," Lee said.
She specifically ruled out supporting tax increases on "hardworking Australians," describing such measures as violations of the government's electoral commitments.
The opposition leader's comprehensive criticism covered multiple policy areas, suggesting a coordinated effort to highlight what she characterized as government failures across domestic and international issues.
Press Conference Context
The Adelaide press conference occurred amid ongoing international discussions about Middle East policy and domestic debates over economic management and housing affordability.
Ley's decision to link foreign policy criticism with domestic economic concerns reflected the opposition's strategy of presenting multiple government failures as part of a broader pattern of policy mismanagement.
Her remarks came as various stakeholders prepared for the Productivity Roundtable discussions, with the opposition clearly positioning itself to critique outcomes before they are announced.
The timing of Lee's comments, particularly regarding Hamas reactions to Australian foreign policy, suggested the opposition was seeking to maximize political impact from international developments.
Coalition Policy Consistency
Throughout the press conference, Lee sought to distinguish between long-standing coalition positions and criticism of current government implementation approaches.
On Palestinian statehood, she emphasized continued support for a two-state solution while opposing the current recognition timing and process.
"We do support a two-state solution, but we don't support it outside of a proper peace process and a proper two-state process," Lee said.
This positioning allowed the opposition to maintain traditional policy support while criticizing specific government decisions and their international reception.
The press conference concluded with Lee reaffirming the coalition's commitment to opposing policies that would increase taxation while remaining open to constructive policy suggestions that could benefit Australian citizens.
Her comprehensive critique spanning foreign policy, economic management, and housing delivery reflected the opposition's efforts to present a coordinated challenge to government competence across multiple policy domains during a period of significant domestic and international challenges.
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