Free Republic

Australia would reverse its decision on Palestinian state recognition if there is a change of government in Australia, the country’s Opposition Leader and Liberal Party head, Sussan Ley, told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Sa’ar later revealed in a X/Twitter post on Monday. Ley, believing that Australia’s decision rewards Hamas, noted her disappointment at “this break with bipartisanship and reiterated the Coalition’s long-held position that recognition must only come at the end of a genuine two-state process,” she wrote, also in a X/Twitter post. “Now is the wrong time while Hamas holds hostages and while conflict still rages. The Australian...

Australia’s heath minister temporarily stepped down Monday while her travel expense claims are investigated. The scandal surrounding Minister Sussan Ley’s expense claims could trigger the first reshuffle of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s Cabinet since his government was re-elected six months ago. Ley has been under scrutiny since last week over allegations that she made taxpayers pay for personal travel in recent years, including to the tourist city of Gold Coast where she bought a luxury apartment in 2015. Turnbull said Ley had agreed to stand aside without ministerial pay while the prime minister’s department investigated whether her expense claims met...