Greens Explain Absence From Vote on Oct. 7 Condolence Motion

Labor Minister Katie Gallagher said the aim of the motion as to unite the country rather than allowing social divisions to play out.

Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt speaks during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on March 30, 2023. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

A day after the Greens were notably absent when the federal lower house voted on a condolence motion on Oct. 7, Greens leader Adam Bandt tried to explain his party’s position.

“From our view, we couldn’t support a motion that talked about the events of Oct. 7 without also recognising that the extremist [Israeli] Netanyahu government has been found to be committing war crimes, and that there is an unfolding genocide,” said the federal MP for Melbourne.