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January 7, 2024
Sunday 07 January 2024
James Campbell
The Herald Sun
The opposition has called for deputy chief of staff to Employment Minister Tony Burke to be disciplined after photos of him dressed in a Palestinianstyle scarf emerged on social media.
Adam Gartrell is seen in the photos including a public profile picture wearing a keffiyeh-style scarf.
Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the posts showed poor judgment.
"I would have thought the press secretary for a cabinet minister already embroiled in controversy for grossly insensitive comments about the Jewish community would know better than to engage in militant cosplay dress-ups," he said.
"I'd call on Tony Burke to discipline his staffer, but he's got enough of his own problems at the moment.
Maybe the Prime Minister's Office could speak to their senior ministerial staff about good taste and judgment in the middle of a major geopolitical crisis." Senator Paterson was referring to comments broadcast on Sky News on Friday in which Mr Burke was asked if he would use the word "genocide" to describe Israel's conduct in Gaza. Mr Burke quoted Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant saying there would be no food, water or fuel allowed into Gaza and claimed Mr Gallant had called Gazans "human animals".
A spokesman for Mr Burke declined to comment on Mr Gartrell's photos but pointed out his social media posts show he worn a scarf over his head while on holidays to Jordan, Egypt and the Sudan last year.
