Danby praises security volunteers
THE Federal Member for Melbourne Ports Michael Danby commended volunteers who stand on security duty outside Jewish institutions in Parliament last week, when he welcomed the government’s commitment of $7.5 million to the Secure Schools Program.
He also paid tribute to Dan Uzan, the security guard shot dead in Copenhagen last month who was on duty at a synagogue during a bat mitzvah party.
Quoting the bat mitzvah girl’s mother, Danby said, “We feel like Dan stopped the terrorist with his body. He was our hero even before this incident. He was a kind-hearted man, a good soul. Dan and the other guards who were there are the true heroes of this incident.”
Noting that filmmaker Finn Norgaard had earlier been killed hosting a panel on free speech, Danby added, “I wish the ABC had humanised the victims more, because there are thousands of people every weekend and during the week who stand outside Australian institutions, particularly Jewish institutions. They are volunteers who, like Dan Uzan, guard institutions from people like this … I honour their work and understand their fear of the events that happened in those places.”
Danby also condemned the ABC for including actress Miriam Margolyes on its Q&A panel last week.
Margolyes had suggested on the program that soaring anti-Semitism in Europe was partly due to Israel’s “appalling” treatment of Palestinians.
Danby stated: “[Margolyes] said quite disgracefully on this program on Monday that anti-Semitism is quite understandable. It is not understandable in any circumstances. The death of those people is not justifiable, Ms Margolyes. You are a disgrace, and the ABC is a disgrace for putting you on.”
Schools in Danby’s electorate will receive more than $1.35 million under the Secure Schools Program, which he strongly pushed for before it was adopted by Kevin Rudd’s government in 2007.
The program was introduced to fund schools at risk of terrorist or hate-crime attacks to build infrastructure to protect themselves, with the previous Labor government providing $35 million.
In 2013, Labor committed to expand the program to fund security guards. The Liberals matched the policy, initially providing $18 million for three years, until this latest announcement.
PETER KOHN
Michael Danby.
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