Australia’s Parliament resumed for the first time since the center-left Labor Party won one of the nation’s largest-ever majorities in the May elections. The day was largely ceremonial, with reminders of conflict in the Middle East. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Parliament House, calling for the government to impose sanctions on Israel after Australia joined another 27 countries in issuing a joint statement, saying the war in Gaza “must end now.”
Australia has imposed financial and travel sanctions on individual Israelis, including government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. However, the Australian government has not imposed wider sanctions on the state. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke described the joint statement as the strongest words his government had used on the conflict in Gaza. Senior opposition lawmaker Jonathon Duniam described Australia joining 27 other nations in signing the statement as “alarming.”
Australia’s 48th Parliament was opened with Indigenous ceremonies in Parliament House, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanking the traditional owners of the national capital, Canberra, at a Welcome to Country ceremony. The main opposition Liberal Party has elected its first woman leader, Sussan Ley, after one of the party’s worst election results on record.
No party holds a majority in the 76-seat Senate, with Labor holding 29 seats and the conservatives 27 seats, and the Australian Greens holding 10 seats. The government will likely prefer to negotiate with the conservatives or Greens to get legislation through the Senate, rather than deal with multiple minor parties and independents.
