Key events
Krishani Dhanji
Leeser says “ball is in Hamas’ court” on Gaza.
Onto the ongoing war in Gaza, David Speers asks Leeser whether he has any criticism of the way Israel has conducted itself in this conflict.
The shadow attorney-general – reiterating comments we’ve heard from the Coalition – says he’s distressed by the images coming out of Gaza, but the “ball is in Hamas’ court” to release the hostages and end the war.
Israel, like Australia, is a Western liberal democratic country, the only democracy in the Middle East. It has free and fair elections. It has robust judiciary, it has freedom of the press, it respects the rights of women and LGBTQ minorities. Hamas, by contrast, is a terrorist organisation that we list as a terror organisation in this country. It is sponsored by Iran, the same Iran that launched attacks on Australia and Australians.
Asked how he would describe the recent bombing of a hospital in Gaza, killing 20 people, including five journalists, Leeser calls it a “tragedy”, and says it’s appropriate that Israel has said it will be investigated.
Krishani Dhanji
War of words over terrorist listing
The Coalition and government have been pointing fingers over when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should have been listed as a terrorist organisation.
The opposition has blamed the Albanese government for not moving faster, when they were warned more than two years ago to do so. But shadow minister Andrew Hastie has also revealed that he was pushing for the listing during the previous Morrison government.
ABC Insiders host, David Speers asks Julian Lesser what an earlier listing would have done – when the criminals who carried out the attacks didn’t know that the directives were coming from the IRGC:
The fact that the terrorist organisation is being listed may well degrade its operations in a particular country and it says one shouldn’t associate with terrorist organisations because that itself becomes a crime and you shouldn’t accept finance from terrorist organisations.
Leeser says the Persian community was pushing for the listing in 2023 and that a Senate committee was also doing work to look at the process of listing it.
Asked why the Coalition government hadn’t done it, Leeser says the Morrison government had listed Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations.
Nino Bucci
Federal opposition leader calls for call ahead of anti-immigration marches
The federal opposition leader, Sussan Ley, also commented late yesterday on the anti-immigration marches planned for Sunday, calling for calm and respectful behaviour. She said:
In Australia, we protect the right to an opinion and the right to protest. But that must be done peacefully and respectfully. There is no place for violence, racism or intimidation.
Whether incited from afar or stirred up here, we cannot let hatred and fear tear at our social cohesion.
Strong borders keep us safe, but they also allow us to be generous and compassionate to those fleeing conflict.
Shadow minister claims government created atmosphere for attacks on Jewish communities
The shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, has claimed the Albanese government’s position on Israel helped “create an atmosphere” for attacks on Jewish communities that have now been blamed on Iran.
Leeser is appearing on the ABC’s Insiders program. Asked if he still blamed the government for the attacks that began in late 2024, he said:
I think when you create a situation where you delegitimise the Jewish state which is what the government has been doing in relation to a series of votes at the United Nations, you delegitimise Jewish people here and you create an atmosphere where low-life criminals are prepared to take money from an organisation ultimately backed by the Iranian regime to commit crimes against Jewish people.
He said the move to list the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and expel the country’s ambassador was the right one “but it was the right move two and a half years too late”.
New era for marathon
With a finish line in front of the Sydney Opera House, the city’s marathon starts its life as an official Abbott World Marathon Major this morning, joining the likes of Boston, London and New York.
Some 35,000 runners have joined the attempt to finish the 42km course this morning. There’s also a 10km run that set off at 8.45am this morning.
That’s a huge rise from the 5,300 who ran in 2022 and the 25,000 who took part last year.
Sydney Marathon winners
How does it feel when you wake up on Sunday morning, bleary-eyed maybe, and realise thousands have already been out for a 42km run?
Ethiopian Hailemaryam Kiros Kebedew has crossed the finish line as the winner of the men’s race of the huge Sydney Marathon as the event enters its first year as a World Major. There were 35,000 runners registered.
Dutch runner Sifan Hassan has just won the women’s race in a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 22 seconds.
Victorian premier condemns those who ‘walk with Nazis’
Nino Bucci
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has used a speech on the eve of the March for Australia to condemn those who “walk with Nazis” and express concern about the anti-immigration protest.
Allan, speaking at the premier’s annual multicultural gala on Saturday night, said even children who saw the march on the television news would know “it’s not a very Australian march at all” because “it just won’t look like the Australia they know”:
Australia isn’t a place where we spread hate and fear about foreigners … Australia is a nation of foreigners.
And Australia isn’t a place where we walk with Nazis … Australia is a place that went to war with Nazis.
And the Australian flag is a symbol of our victory and their defeat.
Allen said the flag was “a beautiful thing, but it’s what you do with it that counts”:
Make no mistake – I am concerned about tomorrow’s march …but I’m not afraid.
We should look out for one another … but we should not be scared.
No one who has ever tried to divide this country has ever succeeded.
Because the promise of multiculturalism is so much stronger.
Good morning
Good morning and it’s a welcome from me, Graham Readfearn, to our live news blog for this Sunday.
The search for Dezi Freeman, the alleged killer of two Victorian police officers, enters its sixth day. Police arrested a 61-year-old man late yesterday in nearby Bright, but have not confirmed if the arrest is linked to the search for Freeman.
We will also be keeping an eye on planned anti-immigration marches that are due to take place around lunchtime in all the capital cities.
There are already thousands of people out in Sydney’s CBD this morning, with several road closures, as the city hosts what is expected to be its biggest marathon yet, with 35,000 runners registered.
