Topics: Labor’s recognition of a Palestinian state, Net Zero

E&OE.......................

MELISSA CLARKE: Let's return now to one of our top stories, that is the Australian Government's formal recognition of a Palestinian state. The Coalition's described that as a hollow gesture of false hope. Dave Sharma, Liberal Senator from New South Wales, joins us now. Senator, thanks for being with us.

DAVE SHARMA: Great to join you, Melissa.

MELISSA CLARKE: So why is the Coalition out of step with allies like the UK and Canada in opposing this recognition?

DAVE SHARMA: Well we believe in dealing with the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be. And the truth is that this gesture is not going to advance the prospects of a Palestinian state. In fact, I think it's likely to set them back. It's not going to help bring the conflict in Gaza to an end. It's not going to help the release of the hostages. It's not going to help an end to Palestinian suffering amongst the civilian population of Gaza. So, for those reasons, we're opposed to it. We would like to see a two-state solution. But the longstanding bipartisan position in Australia, going back decades, has always been that such an emergence of a Palestinian state can only come about by direct negotiation and agreement between the parties. What this decision has done is basically reward Hamas for its terrorist attacks of the 7th of October, strengthen Hamas's position amongst the Palestinian body politic, and to be honest, encouraged Israeli hardliners who are less likely to ever agree to peace.

MELISSA CLARKE: You said it won't help the process but for Hamas to be rewarded - this isn't something that gives assistance to it as a terrorist organization. In fact, it, it in many ways helps it rival the Palestinian Authority in giving it greater weight in international discussions and progression. So is it really rewarding Hamas?

DAVE SHARMA: I think it is because Hamas... Look, Hamas has come out and welcomed, uh, this decision, and Hamas says to the Palestinian public, "Look at what we achieved through the 7th of October. We've got you recognition, uh, in a way that didn't exist before," compared to the Palestinian Authority's pathway of negotiations, diplomacy, and recognizing Israel. And it encourages Hamas to continue with its rejectionist approach, which is, you know, Hamas's position is Israel has no right to exist, um, that the Jewish state has no place in being there, and it wants the entirety of the land west of the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea to be governed by themselves...

MELISSA CLARKE: And that's pretty much the inverse position of the Netanyahu Government, right? We've seen Benjamin Netanyahu over the last day or so say, "There'll never be a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River." So we have, you know, intractable positions on both sides. Is Australia's recognition really the key factor here?

DAVE SHARMA: Look I don't think that the recognition by Australia and by the UK and Canada... I mean, what that is doing is strengthening hard line rejectionist elements within both sides, on the Palestinian side but also on the Israeli side, which means that the prospects of peace where you need people to come together, reconcile to each other's existence, reconcile to each other's security and other needs, it's made that process that much more difficult. That's why I think it's an empty and a hollow gesture that does nothing to advance the cause the government says they believe in and only makes the achievement of that solution that much more remote.

MELISSA CLARKE: In the past government and opposition in Australia, regardless of who's sitting on which benches, have really sought to emphasize points of agreement on foreign policy and not draw attention as much to differences when dealing with other nations, you know, having those debates domestically, but not necessarily putting them on the international stage. Should the Coalition make more of an effort to emphasize the areas where you do agree with the government on things like the primacy of returning hostages rather than being so vocal? Does that damage Australia's ability to act in any way on the international stage if divisions domestically are so clear and prominent?

DAVE SHARMA: Well I'd say two things. Firstly, it is the Labor Government that has overturned of bipartisan foreign policy here, and you only need to look at, uh, you know, former Labor Members of Parliament like Mike Kelly, like Michael Danby, um, to make you understand that's the case. The second thing I'd say, though, is that our job as an opposition is to hold the government to account, to scrutinize and criticize, and offer alternative points of view. And I don't think doing that, fulfilling the role of an opposition, does in any way damage or detract from Australia's international status. That's the proper role of an opposition in a democratic society such as ours.

MELISSA CLARKE: And I'm just going to ask you one last brief question on another issue. Of course, climate and targets has been a big issue through politics last week with Labor announcing its 2035 targets. But on the Coalition side, there's lots of reviews underway, and we saw over the weekend Matt Canavan say the Coalition's on the cusp of dropping the net zero by 2050 target. Is that the case in your understanding?

DAVE SHARMA: No that's not my understanding. My understanding is we're going through a review, and whatever policy, we end up adopting will be the result of a party room discussion. And bear in mind, there are two separate party rooms - there's the Liberal Party room and the National Party room. What we do want to see is we want to see lower emissions, but we want to see them achieved in a way that is not going to damage Australia economically or internationally and that is achievable on the basis of technology that exists today and commercial realities that exist today. And I think Labor's targets are untethered from reality. They're not going to meet their 2030 target, and they've just increased their 2035 target and the assumptions that underpin that are impossible to achieve.

MELISSA CLARKE: Well thank you for clarifying the Coalition's position. Appreciate it. That's all we have time for today on Afternoon Briefing.

[ENDS]

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