October 24, 2024
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is among a number of Labor MPs who went on a study tour to Palestine partially funded by a lobby group that has accused Israel of genocide and opposed the full designation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
The Australian Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) also partially paid for Louise Pratt's trip to Palestine just before the WA Labor Senator spoke at an APAN fringe event at the Labor Party annual conference in 2023.
In APAN's latest annual report, the lobby group said it had received $22,400 from "ALP" and $50,000 from "Union" to pay for study tours to Palestine.
Shadow Affairs Minister James Paterson called on Labor to be transparent about its financial relationship with APAN, which he said was becoming "an increasingly extreme organisation".
"Nasser Mashni, APAN's president, has called for an end to the peace process and abandonment of a two-state solution, as well as opposing the listing of Hamas as a terrorist organisation," he said.
"Labor must be upfront about their funding of APAN.
What is the purpose of Labor's payments to APAN? What was Labor's money spent on?" APAN has not responded to questions over the mysterious payment from "ALP", but Labor denied giving the lobby group any money.
"ALP National Secretariat has not made any financial contribution to the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network," a federal Labor spokesman said.
ACTU president Michele O'Neil said the union's humanitarian aid agency Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA toured Palestine with APAN in 2023 but did not confirm if the tour cost $50,000.
"Participants paid for their own places on the study tour and APHEDA funded one of its employees to take part as one of the study tour guides," she said. "The ACTU did not contribute any funding for the study tour."
Mr Burke was joined by Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Josh Wilson and Special Envoy for the Arts Susan Templeman on the trip with APAN in 2017.
The Labor politicians, then in opposition, paid for their flights while APAN paid for accommodation, ground transport and some meals.
They all declared the trip on their parliamentary register of interests.
"On the visit, I met with members of the Palestinian Authority and members of the Knesset," Mr Burke said.
"I met former members of the IDF, people who'd had their homes demolished in the middle of the night, and farmers who had their crops rot on the back of trucks at checkpoints.
"I also watched civilian Palestinians being tried before Israeli military courts.
"Too much of the debate in Australia is conducted through slogans and it was important to hear the perspectives of ordinary families in the West Bank."
Mr Hill has also travelled to Israel on a similar trip with the Australia Israel Jewish Affairs Council that was valued at $10,000.
