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January 23, 2025
The Albanese government continues to be unable to explain the removal of Labor Senator Sue Lines as the head of Australia’s delegation to the Auschwitz memorial.
The controversial Labor Senator, who accused Israel of “apartheid”, was initially picked to lead the delegation to an Auschwitz memorial before being quietly dumped following reports from Sky News.
The latest developments have raised new questions about the timing and reasons behind the decision, as well as the confusion surrounding the confirmation of the delegation.
Originally, Senator Lines had been listed as the head of the Australian delegation to the event, as confirmed by an internal email from a senior Home Affairs official on December 17.
Government sources confirmed that as of January 3 Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus were set to attend the commemoration, with Senator Wong set to lead the delegation.
This shift was only publicly confirmed after the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, which organises the event, revealed they had only received confirmation of the Australian representatives' attendance on January 22, following reports by Sky News.
The timing of the confirmation has raised eyebrows, as the museum had earlier stated that they had not received any information from the Australian embassy about who would be representing Australia.
The museum had requested permission to list Senator Wong as the head of the delegation as early as January 8 but the embassy withheld that announcement due to "protocol", according to sources.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave an unconvincing explanation to reporters on Wednesday as he sought to deny reports his government had chosen Senator Lines to represent Australia despite her anti-Israel remarks.
Mr Albanese claimed reports he had selected Senator Sue Lines to represent Australia at Auschwitz were “bizarre and wrong” after being asked about the decision at a press conference.
Nationals Leader David Littleproud told Sky News on Thursday the government had "mismanaged this whole issue" after being "found out" by Sky News.
"Now it's become about politics and about trying to save face... This is one of our darkest hours what happened in Auschwitz," he said.
"I think the Prime Minister has shown a lack of leadership from the start."
When the Prime Minister was pressed on Wednesday on whether Ms Lines had ever been selected as the Head of Delegation for the Auschwitz event, he did not deny it.
“I have no idea where that came from,” he said.
However, Sky News has obtained an email sent by Department of Home Affairs first assistant secretary Sneha Chatterjee in December with details of the party travelling to Poland, which clearly stated Senator Lines as the Head of Delegation.
Other members of the delegation included a staff member of Senator Lines, and Special Envoy on Antisemitism Jillian Segal.
Sky News also revealed that Jewish leaders had been told in writing that Senator Lines would lead the delegation, prompting outrage in the community.
Mr Albanese emphasised Foreign Minister Penny Wong will attend the event as Australia’s most senior representative.
“I approve our international travel. Penny Wong will lead the delegation, accompanied by Mark Dreyfus, our Attorney-General,” Mr Albanese said on Wednesday.
However, when Sky News contacted the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, which will host the event, officials revealed the Australian embassy had not confirmed its representatives.
There has been further confusion within the Albanese government as Foreign Minister Penny Wong bumbled through her explanation of events.
“My recollection of this is I understood Mark Dreyfus was going to attend the commemoration,” Ms Wong said on Wednesday.
“I indicated late last year that if I could attend as well, I would. We did make that decision, I think, just around Christmas perhaps and communicated it after the shutdown.”
The Auschwitz Museum, which organises the event, has published more than 40 delegations on its website but Australia is not on the list.
Nobody within the government has been able to explain why Senator Lines, who has been heavily critical of Israel, was initially selected to attend the Auschwitz event, marking 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camp.
Following the widespread criticism, Labor media spinners attempted to background Australian journalists suggesting Senator Lines had never officially been confirmed as Head of Delegation.
Contacts within the Prime Minister’s Office previously confirmed she would be attending the memorial, prior to the original article being published.
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson told Sky News on Wednesday, “(Senator Lines) very clearly was leading the delegation at one point”.
“It’s likely that the government subsequently realised that it wasn’t a good choice based on the backlash.
“They’re scrambling now to say that they had a different plan but they can't give a straight answer about why she appeared as the head of that delegation.”
While the demotion of Senator Lines may soothe some community outrage, the presence of Australia's Foreign Minister will likely be met with mixed feelings.
Senator Wong has also faced criticism from Jewish groups over her own record on Israel, including overseeing Australia's decision to support a United Nations motion that called for an end to the nation's "unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible".
It was the first time in two decades Australia had voted in favour of the motion.
That vote, along with Senator Wong's decision to throw support behind a separate motion condemning Israel's ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), led to a fierce series of exchanges with Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
Senator Wong has also been called out for having mentioned Israel alongside Russia and China in a recent speech and for supporting an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" in Gaza, prior to the agreement of the hostage deal this month.
The change of delegation leadership from Senator Lines to Senator Wong comes after prominent figures called on the Albanese government to reconsider its decision to send Senator Lines as Australia's representative at next week's Auschwitz commemoration.
Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, a leading Jewish figure in Australian politics, warned the government that sending Senator Lines could send the wrong message.
“Prime Minister, please reconsider this decision, it’s a serious error of judgment,” he said on Tuesday.
“The memory of Auschwitz haunts the world and deserves the most respectful response.
“With the Australian Jewish community under siege, you’re sending the wrong message with the wrong messenger.”
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also weighed in, telling Sky News on Tuesday the decision was "beyond understanding".
"If it wasn't such a serious issue, it would be comical. It really would," he said.
"There's no explanation whatsoever, I don't know what's going on in the Prime Minister's office.
"This is beyond understanding. You could think of Penny Wong, you could think of Tony Burke or Anthony Albanese, but Sue Lines is at least as bad as all of them, if not worse, in terms of who you could think could represent our country."
Former Senate President and Liberal Senator Scott Ryan represented the Morrison Government at the 75th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation in 2020.
Australia’s Jewish Leaders were told this trend would continue for the 80th anniversary with Mr Ryan’s Labor successor and current Senate President Sue Lines attending – but that was before Sky News broke the story of her controversial attendance.
Senator Lines' selection drew sharp criticism due to her previous statements accusing Israel of apartheid.
In February 2022, she quoted an Amnesty International report in the Senate, which described Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as fitting the definition of apartheid.
She called on the international community to pressure Israel to dismantle what she called a "cruel system".
Liberal MP Andrew Wallace expressed strong opposition to her selection and told Sky News the Prime Minister was being “tone deaf”.
“The Prime Minister needs to revisit this decision. This is an appalling decision on his part and that of the Labor Party,” he said.
“You can't make those sort of statements on the floor of the Senate and then make such an important trip as this.”
Senator Paterson also piled on to the criticism and accused Senator Lines of being one of the most “unhinged anti-Israel” politicians.
“She’s as hostile to the Jewish state as any Greens MP. It shows appalling judgement to send her to this important and sensitive event.”
The growing backlash highlights the increasingly strained relationship between Israel and Australia under the Albanese government.
Tensions have been exacerbated by the government's recent positions at the United Nations.
Australia recently sided with 156 other nations in calling for Israel to end its "unlawful presence" in Palestine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also accused the Albanese government of fostering an "anti-Israel" sentiment following antisemitic attacks in Australia.
A daycare centre was firebombed and scrawled with antisemitic graffiti in Sydney's east on Tuesday amid a spate of attacks on the Jewish community.
Recently, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel directly confronted Australia's Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus over the government's handling of antisemitism.
Mr Dreyfus said he was “warmly welcomed” in Israel and claimed he had “constructive discussions” with members of the Israeli government.
However, Ms Haskel described Australia’s response to the Gaza conflict as “clearly ineffectual” and criticised the government for its campaign against Israel.
“There is no doubt this has been caused in part by the Australian government’s ongoing campaign against Israel,” Ms Haskel said.
Following more than a year of rising antisemitic attacks, including the firebombing of a childcare centre, Mr Albanese finally succumbed to calls for a National Cabinet.
The decision came after Mr Albanese claimed Australians wanted “action, not meetings”.
