Australia voting down genocide bill reflects 'colonial interests': Lawmaker

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Australia's upper house on Wednesday voted down the so-called genocide bill amid Israel's war on Gaza, a move independent Senator Lidia Thorpe said reflects the country’s “colonial interests.”

The bill, introduced by Thorpe, aimed to strip the attorney general of the power to block prosecutions for crimes such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Australian courts.

"It comes as no surprise that my genocide bill was voted down by the major parties," Thorpe said in a statement.

"The rejection of the bill speaks to the colonial and genocidal interests of this government, with Labor and the Coalition protecting their political interests over international justice," she said on X, referring to the ruling and opposition parties.

She first introduced the amendment to the criminal code in the Senate last month.

"The demand of the bill was simple: that perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, and other crimes against humanity, should be held accountable – whether in this country or overseas, whether past or present,” she added.

Thorpe’s effort was praised by human rights defenders.

Rawan Arraf, director of the Australian Centre for International Justice, thanked her on social media “for bringing this issue to light and speaking up for victim survivor communities.”

Currently, Australian courts can only prosecute genocide and related crimes if granted consent by the attorney general.

She said the bill would have aligned Australia with the UN Genocide Convention, which ensures victims and survivors can seek justice through international law.