Craig Laundy MP said this in federal parliament on 1/12/14:
"We hear the constant reference to the two-state solution [but] I believe this is used as a line to hide behind..." & "If you look at the Middle East [today]... we can trace it pretty much back to this region some 60 or 70 years ago. Anyone who stands in this place and argues differently is not being fair dinkum." (See my 18/2/16 post Craig Laundy MP Gets It)
Now, in The Australian Jewish News of 19/2/16, we read:
"He later told The AJN that he supported a two-state solution and he meant to convey that he would like to see more done. 'I never have, nor will I, place the blame for the range of current issues in the region solely with Israel or any other state,' he said. Laundy reiterated his support for a two-state solution this week. 'Both the Australian government's and my long-standing position is that we remain committed to Israel and a Palestinian state existing side by side in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders,' he told The AJN. 'As Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, I very much look forward to working side by side with the Australian Jewish community and building on the wonderful relationships that I have established during my time in Parliament within the community'." (Laundy's controversial past)
Is The AJN's coverage kosher? If so, what happened?
Did the lobby perhaps follow the advice of the always charming and forever lovely Liat Kirby-Nagar?
"You [Colin Rubenstein] should have come out fighting on this one, not pander... in smarmy tones to a man whose sum of experience rests in his own electorate, and always will. The only way to deal with him is full on. He should be forced to consider the Israeli perspective... Our Jewish leaders need to command respect, and maintain dignity; this will not happen by playing diplomatic games with a man whose sympathies lie elsewhere and whose intellectual capacity appears limited. If Laundy can't broaden his horizon he should go. Is he still the co-chair of The Friends of Palestine? If so, he should relinquish that position as it's not appropriate to his new role..." (Comment to Eager to meet a new member of the ministry, jwire.com.au, 17/2/16)
Craig... are you OK?
Showing posts with label Craig Laundy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Craig Laundy. Show all posts
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Here Comes the Rain!
M'Lord Turnbull's elevation of Craig Laundy, the member for Reid, to the post of Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs has triggered alarm bells in Lobbyland.
Is there no rest for these eternally vigilant warriors for Zionism?
No sooner have they staved off one existential threat from the NSW Labor grassroots, than M'Lord Turnball throws them this Liberal curveball. At any rate, loins have been girded and talking points sharpened. Operation Inundation has begun.
Here are those talking points, both text and subtext:
Peter Wertheim (Executive Council of Australian Jewry - ECAJ):
"The ECAJ will be seeking a meeting with the Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs at the earliest opportunity. Many of our community's most pressing concerns fall within his portfolio - the recrudescence of antisemitism, communal security costs and threats to religious freedoms... We believe that the Asst Min well understands that the responsibility of government is to promote social cohesion, not discord." (Eager to meet a new member of the ministry, jwire.com.au, 17/2/16)
Translation:
It's all about us, ourselves and we. And us, ourselves and we is all about Israel. You see, Mr Laundy, airing doubts about Israel is merely how it begins. Then, before you know it, the social fabric, which rests entirely on love of Israel, is rent and life in Australia will become solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short in the Hobbesian manner. Now you wouldn't want to be responsible for that, would you, Mr Laundy?
Colin Rubenstein (Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council - AIJAC):
"While we have certainly had our concerns about Craig Laundy in the past, especially in terms of his poorly-informed, one-sided comments on Israel and the Middle East we look forward to constructively engaging with him in his new role... We hope his knowledge of Israel and the broader Middle East... will grow, and anticipate he will both better understand and endorse his Government's commendable policies towards Israel and the peace process..."
Translation:
We've got a 5-starre-education camp study tour in the vibrant Land of Our Dreams lined up for you, Mr Laundy. All the right people have been there and done that, and all have returned with the right ideas and singing like canaries. Take Ms Plibersek for instance. She too started out frothing at the mouth. That we could ignore from a mere MP, but once she began to rise through the ranks we had no option but to, as we like to put it - constructively engage - with her. Constructive engagement, you see, is our specialty. We've had almost a hundred years of experience at it. No 'immovable object' has ever been able to withstand our irresistable force. Oh, yes, Mr Laundy, initially she kicked and she screamed, but a few constructive engagement sessions soon wore her down and she eventually took the cure tour. Now look at her! Almost Labor leader! Do you see my point, Mr Laundy? Think about it...
Michael Danby MP:
"Malcolm Turnbull might charm Jewish audiences in Wentworth by joking about being a member of Mishpocha,' but I think the community has a right to be disappointed with his choice for the Multicultural Affairs portfolio... His APAN-inspired 2014 speech on 'International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People,' during which he claimed 'the lobby' was restricting free speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and that Israel's creation was the source of all today's unrest in the Middle East, was as ugly a sentiment as it was factually and historically incorrect. But more than that, inflammatory comments like that are the antithesis of Multiculturalism, and can only serve to create division between communities..."
Translation:
Listen up, Laundy. First, do you know who I am? Right! I'm sooo disappointed in you. Not to mention Mishpocha Malcolm. Second, how very, very dare you! Third - and let's get this straight once and for all - because you obviously weren't paying attention in Sunday school - my mob wrote the script on the Middle East, OK? G-d gave it to us, not them, not just 60 or 70 years ago, but thousands of years ago. So don't think you can just swan around in this joint, shooting off your mouth, without hearing from me, OK?
Pray for the soul of Craig Laundy.
Is there no rest for these eternally vigilant warriors for Zionism?
No sooner have they staved off one existential threat from the NSW Labor grassroots, than M'Lord Turnball throws them this Liberal curveball. At any rate, loins have been girded and talking points sharpened. Operation Inundation has begun.
Here are those talking points, both text and subtext:
Peter Wertheim (Executive Council of Australian Jewry - ECAJ):
"The ECAJ will be seeking a meeting with the Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs at the earliest opportunity. Many of our community's most pressing concerns fall within his portfolio - the recrudescence of antisemitism, communal security costs and threats to religious freedoms... We believe that the Asst Min well understands that the responsibility of government is to promote social cohesion, not discord." (Eager to meet a new member of the ministry, jwire.com.au, 17/2/16)
Translation:
It's all about us, ourselves and we. And us, ourselves and we is all about Israel. You see, Mr Laundy, airing doubts about Israel is merely how it begins. Then, before you know it, the social fabric, which rests entirely on love of Israel, is rent and life in Australia will become solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short in the Hobbesian manner. Now you wouldn't want to be responsible for that, would you, Mr Laundy?
Colin Rubenstein (Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council - AIJAC):
"While we have certainly had our concerns about Craig Laundy in the past, especially in terms of his poorly-informed, one-sided comments on Israel and the Middle East we look forward to constructively engaging with him in his new role... We hope his knowledge of Israel and the broader Middle East... will grow, and anticipate he will both better understand and endorse his Government's commendable policies towards Israel and the peace process..."
Translation:
We've got a 5-star
Michael Danby MP:
"Malcolm Turnbull might charm Jewish audiences in Wentworth by joking about being a member of Mishpocha,' but I think the community has a right to be disappointed with his choice for the Multicultural Affairs portfolio... His APAN-inspired 2014 speech on 'International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People,' during which he claimed 'the lobby' was restricting free speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and that Israel's creation was the source of all today's unrest in the Middle East, was as ugly a sentiment as it was factually and historically incorrect. But more than that, inflammatory comments like that are the antithesis of Multiculturalism, and can only serve to create division between communities..."
Translation:
Listen up, Laundy. First, do you know who I am? Right! I'm sooo disappointed in you. Not to mention Mishpocha Malcolm. Second, how very, very dare you! Third - and let's get this straight once and for all - because you obviously weren't paying attention in Sunday school - my mob wrote the script on the Middle East, OK? G-d gave it to us, not them, not just 60 or 70 years ago, but thousands of years ago. So don't think you can just swan around in this joint, shooting off your mouth, without hearing from me, OK?
Pray for the soul of Craig Laundy.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Craig Laundy MP Gets It
On December 1, 2014, a motion was moved in the House of Representatives by Labor MP Maria Vamvakinou that the House acknowledge the UN's designation of 2014 as the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (IYSPP).
This is what Craig Laundy, the Liberal member for the Western Sydney seat of Reid, who seconded Vamvakinou's motion, had to say on that occasion:
"I rise today both to second the motion that the member for Calwell has brought to the chamber and to speak in favor of it. My predecessor spoke about going to Palestine. I have not had the opportunity to go to Palestine, but in a weird twist of events in the electorate I represent I did not have to, because people of Palestine came to me. I have lived in this part of Sydney my entire life... Being Catholic you are cursed, I think, with leaning right on values and leaning very left on social justice. If you were to talk about this topic in my electorate, this is one that resonates. It is the social justice side of this that particularly resonates with me. I learn better by immersion and, after I was elected, the member for Calwell contacted me, I guess on a hunch that the demographics of my electorate would have over time given me exposure to this cause - and I am very thankful she did that. What I did do once I agreed to be the co-chair of the Friends of Palestine was that, because I am a simple character who learns better by immersion, I contacted friends of the member for Calwell and I asked to basically go and sit and listen, as I learn a lot better when I listen. I went one step further. It was a Saturday afternoon in Auburn and around 50 or 60 people had gathered together. I took my wife and my two daughters with me to spend an afternoon with some truly amazing people and to listen to their stories.
"We hear the constant reference to the two-state solution; both parties refer to it. But I am as frustrated as the previous speakers are on this topic, because quite often, I believe, this is used a line to hide behind; it does not get past that. The sole motivation of everyone in this place is to make this country and this world a better place for our kids - and to do so, this is an issue we need to tackle; we need to be real about it. I have great faith in the hearts of Australians - I always have had and I always will have. A slang term we use is 'fair go.' For the last almost 60 years, the people of Palestine have not had a fair go. What my wife and daughters and I heard that afternoon over 3 hours was story after story from first generation and second generation Palestinians. We heard about the impact that the situation in Palestine has had on the parents. Imagine, if you will, going home this afternoon and putting your key in the door and it doesn't fit. You think, 'Hang on a minute. What's happened here?' You knock on the door, and someone you don't know opens it. They are in your home That is what happened in Palestine. That is what happened all those years ago. A people were displaced and they have been fighting for their identity ever since. That is it, simply. If you look at the Middle East and the issues that we as a globe confront today, we can trace it back pretty much to this region some 60 or 70 years ago. Anyone who stands in this place and argues differently is not fair dinkum.
"We got back in the car after 3 hours. I am blessed with 3 beautiful children, and all of them, fortunately, look like and take after their mum. In the safety of our own car, where we could voice our opinions and talk among ourselves about this issue, my 15-year-old daughter, Sophie, said from the back seat, 'Dad, you've got to do something to help.' You cannot listen to the stories of people who were directly impacted on this front and not come away with any other desire than to help - and to do that we must be fair dinkum. We must raise our soft, diplomatic voice through both the UN and the halls of these chambers. The things discussed in this chamber should not be influenced by the power of the lobby; they should be influenced by what is right.
"Member for Calwell, in the Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People - many of whom call my electorate home - what you propose here is right. I will stand side by side with you at all times on this issue. I will debate this topic and yell for change - because the definition of insanity is doing the same thing every day and hoping for a different solution."
Clearly, Craig Laundy, bless him, gets Palestine, and spoke eloquently about his Palestinian immersion. However, as we know, any Australian politician who speaks out on this issue, can expect to cop it, as we say. Could a Zionist inundation be on its way? Stay tuned...
This is what Craig Laundy, the Liberal member for the Western Sydney seat of Reid, who seconded Vamvakinou's motion, had to say on that occasion:
"I rise today both to second the motion that the member for Calwell has brought to the chamber and to speak in favor of it. My predecessor spoke about going to Palestine. I have not had the opportunity to go to Palestine, but in a weird twist of events in the electorate I represent I did not have to, because people of Palestine came to me. I have lived in this part of Sydney my entire life... Being Catholic you are cursed, I think, with leaning right on values and leaning very left on social justice. If you were to talk about this topic in my electorate, this is one that resonates. It is the social justice side of this that particularly resonates with me. I learn better by immersion and, after I was elected, the member for Calwell contacted me, I guess on a hunch that the demographics of my electorate would have over time given me exposure to this cause - and I am very thankful she did that. What I did do once I agreed to be the co-chair of the Friends of Palestine was that, because I am a simple character who learns better by immersion, I contacted friends of the member for Calwell and I asked to basically go and sit and listen, as I learn a lot better when I listen. I went one step further. It was a Saturday afternoon in Auburn and around 50 or 60 people had gathered together. I took my wife and my two daughters with me to spend an afternoon with some truly amazing people and to listen to their stories.
"We hear the constant reference to the two-state solution; both parties refer to it. But I am as frustrated as the previous speakers are on this topic, because quite often, I believe, this is used a line to hide behind; it does not get past that. The sole motivation of everyone in this place is to make this country and this world a better place for our kids - and to do so, this is an issue we need to tackle; we need to be real about it. I have great faith in the hearts of Australians - I always have had and I always will have. A slang term we use is 'fair go.' For the last almost 60 years, the people of Palestine have not had a fair go. What my wife and daughters and I heard that afternoon over 3 hours was story after story from first generation and second generation Palestinians. We heard about the impact that the situation in Palestine has had on the parents. Imagine, if you will, going home this afternoon and putting your key in the door and it doesn't fit. You think, 'Hang on a minute. What's happened here?' You knock on the door, and someone you don't know opens it. They are in your home That is what happened in Palestine. That is what happened all those years ago. A people were displaced and they have been fighting for their identity ever since. That is it, simply. If you look at the Middle East and the issues that we as a globe confront today, we can trace it back pretty much to this region some 60 or 70 years ago. Anyone who stands in this place and argues differently is not fair dinkum.
"We got back in the car after 3 hours. I am blessed with 3 beautiful children, and all of them, fortunately, look like and take after their mum. In the safety of our own car, where we could voice our opinions and talk among ourselves about this issue, my 15-year-old daughter, Sophie, said from the back seat, 'Dad, you've got to do something to help.' You cannot listen to the stories of people who were directly impacted on this front and not come away with any other desire than to help - and to do that we must be fair dinkum. We must raise our soft, diplomatic voice through both the UN and the halls of these chambers. The things discussed in this chamber should not be influenced by the power of the lobby; they should be influenced by what is right.
"Member for Calwell, in the Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People - many of whom call my electorate home - what you propose here is right. I will stand side by side with you at all times on this issue. I will debate this topic and yell for change - because the definition of insanity is doing the same thing every day and hoping for a different solution."
Clearly, Craig Laundy, bless him, gets Palestine, and spoke eloquently about his Palestinian immersion. However, as we know, any Australian politician who speaks out on this issue, can expect to cop it, as we say. Could a Zionist inundation be on its way? Stay tuned...
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