Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I was taken aback by Senator Mooney's speech. Listening to him talk about Hamas was resonant of the DUP talking about Sinn Féin. We know what Hamas is. The suggestion that somebody on this side of the House is in some way about to support or speak in favour of Hamas, or to imply such, does not become Senator Mooney. He knows us well enough to know we have gone well beyond that point in our lives.

The reality is that all of us have been engrossed in this issue for many years. I knew President-Chairman Mr. Arafat for many years. I argued this point with him. From the time Israel moved towards supporting a homeland for Palestinians, I urged that he would change his position, and he did so. Members of the House, such as Senator Norris and I, were supportive of the PLO and the Palestinians but on the day of the first suicide bombing, we made our position clear. We made it clear to the Palestinian regime it was unacceptable and wrong.