Treasurer Jim Chalmers was supposed to face questions about the federal budget during a television appearance, but instead was asked if he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.
The uncomfortable question was posed to Dr Chalmers during his appearance on ABC’s Q+A program on Monday night after it was revealed that the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court was seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and leaders of Hamas for alleged war crimes.
ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan KC stated that he had reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the ongoing war in Gaza.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers was supposed to face questions about the federal budget during a television appearance, but instead was asked if he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.
Arrest warrants have also been sought for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“This will obviously be a matter for the international tribunal,” Dr Chalmers said.
‘We are not part of that process.
‘I have no intention of entering into a process involving the International Criminal Court. We are not a party to that.’
Speaking more broadly about the war in Gaza, Dr Chalmers said he wanted to see an end to the killing of innocent civilians.
“Too many innocent people have been killed in Gaza,” he said.
‘We want to see a humanitarian ceasefire. We want the hostages to be released.
“We want help to come and we want to see a peaceful and lasting two-state solution in that part of the world.”
Regarding the federal budget, several people questioned Dr. Chalmers about the housing crisis.
International Criminal Court chief prosecutor requests arrest warrant for Netanyahu
“There are too many people sleeping in cars, there are too many people sleeping in tents… and we don’t have enough houses… we don’t have enough builders and construction workers,” he said.
“We have a lot of catching up to do after a decade of neglect.”
The Treasurer agreed that owning a home had become out of reach for many people.
“There is no substitute for building more housing,” he said.
“We want to build 1.2 million new homes in the five years starting July this year.”
Some members of the public suggested other solutions, but Chalmers said the only thing that would simultaneously solve the problems in the rental market and allow people to buy their first home was to build more houses.
“One of the craziest things you could do is allow people to access your super for housing because that would mean two or three more people at every auction,” he said.
‘I do not accept, not for a second, that there is a lack of commitment or enthusiasm to improve the property market for everyone, but especially for young people.
‘Vacancy rates are too low, rents are too high, prices are out of reach for too many people and we have a homeless problem.
“The only thing that’s going to solve all of those things is building a lot more housing and that’s what the budget was about.”