Human Rights Commission considers discrimination complaint against Peter Dutton over Gaza comments
The complaint, coordinated by the law firm Birchgrove Legal, includes allegations that 'Palestinian-Australian, Arab-Australian and Muslim-Australian complainants' reported feeling 'dehumanised … and humiliated as an 'Other' who does not and should not matter to Australia' as a result of some of the Liberal leader's public commentary.
The complaint also alleges that 'as a national political leader' some of Dutton's commentary has 'created an environment of permissibility not only for hatred and racism directed at Palestinian-Australian, Arab-Australian and Muslim-Australian complainants but also other Australians who express solidarity with Palestinians, leading to many reports of feeling intimidated not to attend rallies in support of Palestinians and not to express support'.
The complaint was lodged in late November and accepted for assessment by the human rights commission in January, the firm said.
The lead complainants are the president of the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network, Nasser Mashni, and the academic Prof Peter Slezak, who is Jewish.
The complaint lists numerous public comments by Dutton – some made at public events or in media interviews – which it alleges show racially discriminatory behaviour by:
'justifying or otherwise failing to condemn violence against Palestinian civilians by Israel in likely breach of international humanitarian law';
'erasing the human rights and equal dignity and worth of Palestinians by denying crimes and atrocities committed against them';
'and conflating Palestinians as being terrorists or terrorist sympathisers'.
It alleges racially discriminatory treatment of Jewish people in some of the public commentary by 'conflating Jewish people with Israel's conduct and putting Jewish people in the way of hostility, discrimination and even violent harm'.
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Dutton has consistently supported Israel throughout the Gaza crisis and called for stronger action in response to antisemitic attacks in Australia. He has acknowledged in comments not cited in the complaint that 'some Gazans will be people of good character, potentially able and willing to integrate into a democratic nation and subscribe to its values', and that some 'despise' Hamas, while calling for Australia to restrict the granting of humanitarian visas to Palestinians fleeing Gaza without thorough background checks.
A Birchgrove Legal spokesperson said the firm was confident it could demonstrate Dutton's comments that were cited in the complaint had contravened the Racial Discrimination Act.
'We need to demonstrate that everything he did was not reasonable and not in good faith and we think he has made that easy for us because he's been quite relentless and persistent in his commentary,' they said in a statement.
Section 18C of the act states that it is unlawful for someone to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person based on their race. The complaint also cites section 9 which makes racial discrimination unlawful.
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Mashni in a statement accused Dutton of 'encouraging Australia to flout international law and withhold empathy to the human suffering occurring'.
Dutton's office did not respond when contacted for comment. The AHRC said it was 'unable to provide comment on any cases in relation to our complaints and handling arm'.
The commission does not investigate all the complaints it receives. But if it does investigate, it tries to resolve the matter by conciliation.
If that fails, the complainant can take action in the federal court.
In March Birchgrove Legal sent a request to the international criminal court to consider investigating Anthony Albanese, other members of the government (Penny Wong, Richard Marles, Clare O'Neil) and Dutton for alleged complicity in genocide over Israel's actions in Gaza.
The prime minister dismissed that request as having 'no credibility'.
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Glasgow Times
24 minutes ago
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The Herald Scotland
34 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
UK working on plans to air drop aid into Gaza, PM tells Macron and Merz
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Western Telegraph
36 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
UK working on plans to air drop aid into Gaza, PM tells Macron and Merz
The Prime Minister held emergency talks with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz on Saturday amid mounting global anger at the humanitarian conditions in the enclave. In a readout of the call, Number 10 said the leaders had agreed 'it would be vital to ensure robust plans are in place to turn an urgently-needed ceasefire into lasting peace'. 'The Prime Minister set out how the UK will also be taking forward plans to work with partners such as Jordan to air drop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance,' a Downing Street spokesperson said. However, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency warned airdrops were 'a distraction and screensmoke' that would fail to reverse deepening starvation in Gaza, and could in some cases harm civilians. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Saturday: 'A man-made hunger can only be addressed by political will. Lift the siege, open the gates and guarantee safe movements and dignified access to people in need.' Israel said on Friday it will allow airdrops of aid by foreign countries into Gaza to alleviate suffering in the Palestinian territory, where there is widespread devastation. The readout made no mention of the issue of Palestinian statehood, which the Prime Minister has faced calls to immediately recognise after French President Mr Macron confirmed his country would do so in September. However, Downing Street said the leaders had committed to 'work closely together on a plan' to 'pave the way to a long-term solution and security in the region'. Once the proposals have been 'worked up', they will seek to advance them with other key partners, including in the region, the readout said. Some 221 MPs from Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SDLP and independents have signed a letter pressuring the Government to follow suit at a UN meeting next week. Donald Trump suggested Mr Macron's announcement, which saw him commit to formally recognising Palestinian sovereignty at the UN General Assembly in September, 'doesn't matter' as he left the US for a visit to Scotland. US President Donald Trump said a French announcement on Palestinian statehood 'doesn't matter' (Robert Perry/PA) Sarah Champion, the senior Labour MP who organised the letter by parliamentarians, said recognition 'would send a powerful symbolic message that we support the rights of the Palestinian people'. Other senior Commons figures who signed the letter include Labour select committee chairs Liam Byrne, Dame Emily Thornberry and Ruth Cadbury. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, as well as Tory former minister Kit Malthouse, and Sir Edward Leigh – Parliament's longest-serving MP – also signed it. The majority of those who have signed, 131, are Labour MPs. The Government has so far said its immediate focus is on getting aid into the territory and insisted that recognising sovereignty must be done as part of a peace process. Charities operating in Gaza have said Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing people there towards starvation, warning that they are seeing their own workers and Palestinians 'waste away'. But Mr Lazzarini said airdrops can be dangerous as they can fall on civilians, and that being able to drive aid through is more effective and safer. 'Airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation. They are expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians,' he said. 'It is a distraction and screensmoke.' Diplomacy is about finding solutions, not just issuing condemnations Dame Priti Patel, shadow foreign secretary The Prime Minister will meet the US president during his trip to Scotland, where he arrived on Friday evening. US-led peace talks in Qatar were cut short on Thursday, with Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of a 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce. Foreign Secretary David Lammy's opposite number Dame Priti Patel said she had 'repeatedly pressed' him on 'what specific and deliverable solutions he is trying to advance on aid'. 'The British Government needs to be leveraging its influence and the UK's considerable aid expertise to bring about practical solutions that alleviate the dire and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza,' she said. 'The priority must be to get as much aid in as possible, delivered safely and exclusively to innocent civilians. 'Diplomacy is about finding solutions, not just issuing condemnations.' Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador to the UK said recognising Palestinian statehood would 'reward' hostage-taking and killing by Hamas. 'Recognising a Palestinian state in a post-October 7 reality would be nothing less than a reward for terrorism,' she wrote in the Telegraph.
