Anthony Albanese has accused Peter Dutton of “weaponising antisemitism” during a heated parliamentary debate, after the opposition leader attempted to link criticisms of the government’s response to the Gaza conflict and the release of detainees from immigration detention.
The prime minister was visibly angry during a fiery question time and responded to a Coalition motion, saying both Jewish and Muslim communities were scared and being threatened as the Israel-Hamas conflict continued. As the government faces criticism from its right and left factions over its responses to the Gaza war and the high court’s decision that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful, Albanese called for political leaders to strive for unity.
“To come in here and move this resolution, and link antisemitism with the decision of the high court, is beyond contempt,” he said in response to Dutton’s motion.
“I didn’t think that he could go this low as to link these two issues.”
Despite including both in the motion, Dutton dismissed Albanese’s criticisms by saying “there is no link” between antisemitism and the high court case, accusing the prime minister of “concocted outrage”.
Dutton had earlier demanded Albanese cancel his trip to the Apec meeting in San Francisco, to remain in Australia and oversee federal responses to the issues. Dutton told a press conference “the first charge of the prime minister is to keep the Australian people safe”, asking for a national cabinet meeting of state leaders to discuss community safety.
Home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, and immigration minister Andrew Giles said in a statement on Wednesday night that the high court case raised “complex issues” around community safety, and that the government would “introduce and seek to pass this legislation tomorrow to further respond to the High Court’s decision”.
“The full implications will not be clear until the high court has provided written reasons for their judgement, which means further legislation may be required once that judgement has been considered.”
The opposition leader claimed Labor had a “a divided caucus in relation to the Israel issue”. Guardian Australia has reported Labor MPs and party members, including in Albanese’s own local branch, are agitating for the government to publicly call for a Gaza ceasefire.
Dutton brought the criticism to question time on Wednesday, moving a motion calling on the House of Representatives to express its concern at rising antisemitism and the release of 80 people from detention.
Dutton said the 7 October attack by Hamas had sparked a new wave of antisemitism.
“This prime minister had a solemn duty to stand up and make sure that his government spoke with one voice,” Dutton claimed, accusing the government of “speaking out of both sides of its mouth”.
“The caucus is split right down the middle. The Australian public sees this as a government where the wheels are quickly falling off. It’s given rise to social disharmony in this country.”
Dutton went on to claim that “what compounds it” was what he called a “decision” from the immigration minister, Andrew Giles, to release into the community more than 80 people previously in detention after the high court decision.
In response to opposition questions, Giles said “complying with the orders of the high court is not something that is optional”.
In a furious response to Dutton, Albanese accused the opposition of “overreach”.
“The weaponisation, or attempt to weaponise antisemitism, in this chamber and make it a partisan issue is frankly beyond contempt,” he said.
“I make no apologies for standing up against antisemitism and I will do it unequivocally … But I also have a track record of standing up for the rights and for justice of Palestinian people.”
The prime minister said the government needed to support both Jewish and Muslim communities and stand up for the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians.
“Jewish Australians are fearful at the moment,” Albanese said. “The sort of activity that is occurring is scaring them and I stand with them. No one should threaten people because of their religion or their race in this country.
“But it is also the case that Arab Australians and Islamic Australians and women wearing hijabs in the streets of Sydney and Melbourne are being threatened and I stand against that as well.”
Albanese criticised the Coalition for its attempts under the Turnbull government to repeal or water down section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, despite concern from the Jewish community.
Earlier on Wednesday Dutton brushed off a question about whether he regretted that move, given his interest in social cohesion. “I’ll let you live in the past,” Dutton responsed.
Independent MPs condemned the opposition’s question time tactics. The member for Goldstein, Zoe Daniel, claimed it was “promoting social division not social cohesion”; the member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, claimed the “attempt to weaponise and politicise antisemitism for political gain is unconscionable”.
After question time, the shadow immigration minister, Dan Tehan, sought to portray the government’s decision to bring urgent legislation as at odds with earlier statements it was not possible to completely counteract the high court’s decision.
The government bill will advance policies that do not re-detain people, likely to include greater use of conditions on visas, compliance and monitoring.
Tehan told reporters the Coalition would use its briefing to ask government lawyers “all the legal avenues we have to … lock these hardened criminals up again”. Not all of the people released have been convicted of crimes.
Tehan said that he was confident a legal solution existed, although he was unable to identify what it might be.
“We want to see these people locked up again,” he said.
