The @AustralianLabor Government keeps putting their feet in their mouth in relation to the Segal Paper (anti-semitism).

This time, it is @Tony_Burke, our Home Affairs Minister, who has taken over from our Prime Minister @AlboMP with foot-in-mouth disease.

“But Burke defended Segal, a lawyer and businesswoman with a long career of high-profile roles, saying that claims she should be held responsible for her husband’s actions were outdated and misogynistic.”

No, Tony, the criticism of her in this regard is not misogynistic, just as her report is not a response to anti-semitism. Why do I say that?

Firstly, the Procedural Instructions for Conflicts of Interest for the Department of Home Affairs clearly state

1) the scope includes: contractors and consultants, and their employees and subcontractors.

2) In section 3.2 Types of Conflicts, for each type, there is a subsection on consultants and contractors.

3) Further down in this section is further expanded with comments such as ‘any link (however described) with lobbyists’ and ‘commitments to professional, community, interest groups, ethnic, family or religious groups’

4) In section 3.3, Identifying Potential Conflicts, it includes the concept of incorporating ‘current and former relationships, family, friends, rivals and enemies’

5) In Appendix A, Definitions defines Family member as ‘Includes a spouse, partner, children, siblings, parents and extended family, including those involving same-sex relationships.

There are many other statements and requirements around conflicts of interest in the Australian Public Sector domain. Even if Segal was not aware of these, which she should have been via the contract, her professional understanding of the role of conflicts of interest, gained from her extensive experience as a company director, should also have prompted her to ask the question.

What is worse is that the information about her husband’s family trust donations was publicly available on the AEC’s website from the annual returns, and it is not unreasonable to have expected her to either request or verify the information. (https://transparency.aec.gov.au/ClientEntity/EntityDetail?clientIdentifier=5270&clientType=organisationdonor)

So, no Tony, the public in raising this matter is not being misogynistic; it is about professionalism, transparency and compliance with policies and procedures for everyone undertaking public work, whether directly or indirectly.

#Segal #ConflictsofInterest #auspol2025
Government slams conservative group after donation by antisemitism envoy’s husband
From the admirable @JPMasters

*Article title by Editor*

References regarding Segal’s donation to right wing group Advance and her proposal to government to subdue any criticism of Israel’s genocide

Labor’s ‘special envoy’ to promote racism and genocide