Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Greens Senator David Shoebridge clash in a heated Senate Estimates exchange over Gaza, Palestine recognition and Australia’s response to the humanitarian crisis.
The confrontation centres on calls to assist Palestinians seeking evacuation from Gaza, Australia’s recognition of the State of Palestine, and the government’s refusal to formally accept the credentials of a Palestinian ambassador. Wong accuses Shoebridge of spreading misinformation and exploiting grief for political purposes, while Shoebridge presses the government on what practical steps it is taking.