Marles enforces defence kit veto

Australian defence exports are facing tighter scrutiny under federal rules that alert Defence Minister Richard Marles to every potential shipment to Israel, ensuring no military equipment has been supplied to the country since the invasion of Gaza.

Approvals are being escalated to Marles regardless of the value of the defence contract, superseding an earlier protocol that allowed low-value deals to be approved by a delegate within the Defence Department.

Yesterday, the government revealed more about its exports after rejecting claims by the Greens last week that it was ‘‘complicit in genocide’’ and supported the ‘‘slaughter’’ by the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza.

Labor accused the Greens of spreading lies about defence exports because no weapons or ammunition had been sent from Australia to Israel over the past five years.

The rules have ensured no other military components have been supplied to Israel since October 7, when Hamas terrorists killed 1200 people and Israel responded with an incursion into Gaza that is estimated to have killed 36,000 Palestinians.

The dispute over claims of Australian complicity has intensified after pro-Palestinian activists blockaded and damaged the electorate offices of federal Labor MPs in recent weeks. In the latest instance of vandalism, protesters sprayed red paint on the windows of the United States consulate in North Sydney yesterday and sought to smash the reinforced glass. Asked whether the incidents damaged Australia’s reputation overseas, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: ‘‘I think they damage our reputation with ourselves, how we see ourselves. It’s not the Australian way.’’

NSW Premier Chris Minns called the attack ‘‘reprehensible’’.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said some items had been sent from Australia to Israel in recent months but all involved equipment being repaired or modified so it could be returned for use by the Australian Defence Force. The equipment is not used by the Israel Defence Forces. ‘‘Since the conflict has begun, we’ve been only approving export permits to Israel for equipment that is returning to Australia for the ADF,’’ he told ABC Radio National.

‘‘What we’ve been saying is that, due to the high-intensity nature of this conflict and the complex circumstances, we’ve been applying the existing export control system. And since the conflict began, no permits have been approved except for items that have been returned to Australia.’’

In one example, a $917 million contract with Israeli company Elbit Systems, cited by the Greens as proof of defence exports, involved sending a small amount of armoured steel to Israel so the company could design a turret prototype to be fitted to infantry fighting vehicles for the ADF. The turrets are to be made in Australia.

The federal government has a $7 billion contract with South Korean company Hanwha to build 129 Redback vehicles in Geelong. Hanwha has signed the subcontract with Elbit Systems and has promised to use Australian steel from Bisalloy.

In another example, Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems has a joint venture with Australian company Varley Group to supply missile equipment for use on new armoured vehicles for the ADF.

While Varley Rafael Australia will make launch equipment for the missiles at its base in the Hunter region, the missiles will be supplied by Rafael from Israel. The government said this meant no weapons or components would be exported to Israel.

The government said one Australian defence company had taken an example of its technology to a trade fair in Israel after gaining export approval. The item was returned to Australia and was not supplied to the Israel Defence Forces.

The government has acknowledged that Australian companies are making components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is made by Lockheed Martin in Texas and supplied to more than a dozen countries. Brisbane company Ferra Engineering supplies weapons adaptors, which the Greens say include bomb-release equipment for the F-35. Melbourne company Marand Precision Engineering makes ground support equipment to remove and install F-35 engines.

Greens NSW senator David Shoebridge said yesterday the ‘‘constant denial’’ from the government would not stop people from looking into the deals.

‘‘The Albanese government relies on secrecy and misrepresentation to muddy the waters and distract the public from its role in the genocide in Gaza,’’ he said on social media.

Conroy said the Greens were making false claims about Australian military help for the invasion of Gaza. ‘‘What the Greens have been doing is lying to the Australian public about Australia’s involvement in the conflict in order to further social division for short-term political advantage,’’ he said.