Steph Hodgins-May back in the ring
Steph Hodgins-May is taking her third stab at the federal seat of Macnamara against incumbent Labor MP Josh Burns.
STEPH Hodgins-May, the Greens candidate who famously pulled out of The AJN’s 2016 pre-election debate when she learned Zionism Victoria was co-hosting the event, is having a third crack at representing the heartland of the Jewish community in federal Parliament.
The announcement comes as the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) released revised boundaries for Macnamara, which despite initial fears, will still incorporate Caulfield, St Kilda East and Elsternwick.
Asked by The AJN this week whether she would participate in a future debate co-hosted by Zionism Victoria, Hodgins-May, replied, “Responding to specific invitations always depends on the context and the other commitments I have as a candidate, but I have said before that I should have accepted the previous invitation.”
Her decision to withdraw from the debate five years ago is believed to have cost the Greens numerous Jewish votes. She subsequently took part in an Australasian Union of Jewish Students debate in 2019.
During the recent Israel-Hamas conflict, the Greens consistently condemned the actions of the Israeli government, while making little or no mention of Hamas and the violence it inflicted on Israelis. Critics included NSW Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, who finished a parliamentary speech stating, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a phrase that effectively calls for the destruction of Israel.
Questioned by The AJN about whether she would criticise her colleagues for using such language, Hodgins-May responded, “As Member for Macnamara, I can speak directly to Party Room about the perspectives of the community I’ll be representing. In Parliament and outside, I would not use that phrase.”
The AJN then asked Hodgins-May if she condemns Hamas, to which she stated that she condemns “all violence, terrorism and human rights abuses”, adding the Greens have emphasised that they “oppose and condemn any violence, whether that be airstrikes by the Israeli government or rockets by Hamas, especially that which impacts innocent civilians”.
As for Greens politicians who use the word “apartheid” when referring to Israel, she commented, “A range of human rights organisations have provided legal opinions about whether specific actions constitute apartheid, and I note that this very question has been asked by Israeli human rights organisations and many prominent Jewish leaders. Regardless of whether you agree with their legal assessment, the underlying substance of these reports outlining systematic discrimination and inequality under Israeli government policies cannot be dismissed out of hand.”
Reflecting on her own trip to Israel a few years ago, she said she found the country’s “thriving democracy and political engagement enthralling and eye-opening”, adding, “I am not running as a candidate to solve the Middle East conflict. I will be the voice of people who want a sustainable future, who care about human rights, who want to live in a thriving community.”
She also stressed that the Greens “are committed to fighting discrimination, bigotry and racism”, and that she viewed the rise in antisemitism globally as “extremely concerning”.
Commenting on Hodgins-May’s candidature, Labor Member for Macnamara Josh Burns, who defeated her at the ballot box in 2019, said, “There is a reason why the Melbourne Jewish community and the Greens have a very poor relationship. And it has only been made worse by the behaviour of Greens Members of Parliament over the past few months.”
Burns, meanwhile, welcomed the retention of the Jewish heartland within the Macnamara electorate. “I’m pleased the AEC has decided to make the redistribution less disruptive to the Jewish community,” he said.
Liberal MP for the state seat of Caulfield David Southwick, however, noted, “Regardless of where the boundaries fall, the Labor Party only ever gets elected on the back of the Greens preferences.
“Our community cannot afford to be represented by the Greens who have a shocking track record against Israel, and the Labor Party must place them last on the ballot as the Liberals always do.”
In April, ABC election analyst Antony Green predicted the AEC’s planned revision would open up an opportunity for the Greens. The change, however, simply moves the majority of Windsor from Macnamara to Higgins.
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