Opposition Leader Sussan Ley:

This month the Prime Minister expelled the Iranian Ambassador, an action the coalition has strongly supported but what message does it send when the Prime Minister of this country doesn’t have the spine to condemn his former flatmate, Daniel Andrews for posing in photos with the Iranian President, a leader whose regime has actively orchestrated attacks on Australian soil?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

I am not responsible for what every Australian citizen does. What I’m responsible for is … what our government does, and the former government was responsible for sending Minister Ronaldson to the previous event. Mr Speaker, we stand unequivocally in condemning the Iranian regime and what international affairs requires, requires, is for governments of purpose, with that sense of purpose, to engage diplomatically with our friends, and we had yesterday people such as President Prabowo Subianto and a whole range of people attending there. My position is very, very clear, which is we did not send any government representative because it would not have been appropriate. None of my people would have sat in that position, as simple as that.