WILL IRVINE (HE/HIM)
CW: Discussion of violence, David Seymour
OPINION: If you detected a particularly foul stench emanating from the Hub on Tuesday the 9th during Clubs Week, it wasn’t the bathrooms. The reality is far more gruesome: local asshat and rent boy for the rich and powerful, the Honourable David Seymour, visited campus.
Unlike most of Seymour’s visits to schools, here he was not scouting for Snaps to add to his “roster”. There would be no “u up? haha”, and no suggestive pictures of condoms sent to pre-teens. Instead, dressed in a flamboyant pink tie, Seymour engaged in active genocide denial. When questioned by students about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the man who would be Deputy opened with “well, first of all, I don’t believe that there is a genocide…”. Before he could say more, he was drowned out by indignant students.
Seymour’s position corresponds with a flagrant disregard for human rights, represented by a party which is “proud to stand with Israel”. It takes a particularly heartless person to ignore the images of civilian massacres, of children with heads blown clean off, and elderly women shot down in the street, but that is exactly what David Seymour is—a smug, arrogant, emotionless prick.
Not only does Seymour’s position sicken anyone with a conscience, it is also in diametrical opposition to the leading authorities on the matter. The UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has indicated that Israeli officials have demonstrated an “intent to destroy” Gaza’s population. Israel has enforced starvation and thirst on the people of Gaza, destroyed and bombed every single one of Gaza’s hospitals, and created both a disease and famine crisis.
With the level of spectacle that ensued when Finance Minister Willis visited the Hub in February, it is remarkable that Seymour thought his visit would be a good idea. Perhaps it is not surprising—after all, his only contact with youth appears to be sending disappearing messages to 14-year-olds after their bedtime.