Treasurer Jim Chalmers faces a VERY awkward question on Q+A

Treasurer Jim Chalmers was scheduled to be asked questions about the federal budget during a television appearance, but instead he was asked whether he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.

The difficult question was asked to Dr. Chalmers asked during his appearance on ABC’s Q+A program on Monday evening, after it emerged that the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor was seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.

ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan KC claimed he had reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the ongoing war in Gaza.

Arrest warrants have also been issued for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“It is clear that this will be a matter for international justice,” Dr Chalmers said.

‘We are not a party to that process.

“I have no intention of initiating a trial involving the International Criminal Court. We are not a party to that.’

In a broader sense, Dr. Chalmers about the war in Gaza and said he wanted to see an end to the killing of innocent civilians.

“Too many innocent people have been killed in Gaza,” he said.

‘We want a humanitarian ceasefire. We want the hostages released.

“We want the aid to come in and we want to see a lasting peaceful two-state solution in that part of the world.”

Regarding the federal budget, Dr. Chalmers was questioned by several people about the housing crisis.

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor demands an arrest warrant for Netanyahu

“There are too many people sleeping in cars, too many people sleeping in tents… and we don’t have enough houses… we don’t have enough builders and construction workers,” he said.

‘We have a lot of catching up to do after ten years of neglect.’

The Treasurer agreed that owning a home had become out of reach for many people.

“There is no substitute for building more houses,” he said.

‘We want to build 1.2 million new homes in the five years from July this year.’

Other solutions were suggested by some members of the public, but Mr Chalmers said the only thing that would simultaneously solve the problems in the rental market and get people buying their first home would be to build more homes.

“One of the craziest things you can do is give people access to their super for housing, because that would mean two or three extra people at every auction,” he said.

‘I do not accept for a second that there is a lack of commitment or enthusiasm to improve the housing market for everyone, but especially for young people.

“Vacancy rates are way too low, rents are way too high, prices are out of reach for too many people, and we have a homelessness problem.

‘The only thing that will solve all these problems is to build many more homes and that is what the budget was about.’