Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather has defended the party against heated accusations, levelled in parliament against it this week, that it has spread misinformation and stirred up social disharmony by supporting pro-Palestine protests.
On ABC Radio National this morning, the Queensland MP was first asked whether anti-Israel protests in Australia had crossed the line.
Max Chandler-Mather, Greens MP for Griffith.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“Well, of course, we don’t support any protests with things like bricks,” Chandler-Mather said. “What we support is peaceful protest. And again, what the government was doing this week was attempting to distract from the fact that it has not taken a single material action to put pressure on Israel to stop its war in Gaza.”
Chandler-Mather then criticised Australian media for focusing more on domestic protests instead of the deaths of 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza since Israel’s invasion began in response to Hamas’ attack on October 7. That surprise attack killed 1200 Israelis.
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“I would argue that more ink has been spilled, and more airtime has been given, to a small few protests than the fact that there is a historic genocide going on in Gaza, right now,” he said.
Responding to the Labor government’s allegation the Greens were causing social disharmony, Chandler-Mather said: “What is causing social unrest is the Australian government is only using weasel words, when they should be using action to put pressure on Israel to stop its genocide in Gaza.”
Later, host Patricia Karvelas challenged Chandler-Mather on his suggestion the federal government had done nothing to stop the conflict, pointing out they had called for a ceasefire.
In response, he said: “This isn’t some student politics forum. They are the Australian government. They have the power to cancel two-way arms trade with Israel.”