Josh Burns, a federal MP from the Labor party, gave testimony in June 2026 about antisemitic abuse directed at him and his partner. He told Australia's antisemitism royal commission that his electorate office was burned down in an arson attack and that he has faced sustained online harassment.

Burns said social media platforms have ignored his complaints about antisemitic content targeting him and those around him. According to reports, he described social media as the main place where this abuse now happens. The arson attack on his office was the most serious act of violence in what he called an escalating campaign against him.

Burns's partner is Georgie Purcell, a Victorian state MP and animal rights advocate. She has also faced abuse that combines antisemitic attacks with sexist attacks. Her experience matters because it shows a pattern: family members and partners of Jewish public figures often become targets of hate not because of their own politics, but simply because of who they are related to.

Why This Royal Commission Exists

A royal commission is Australia's formal way of investigating serious issues. It has the power to force people to testify and hand over documents. While the commission's final report isn't technically a law, it carries real political weight—it can lead to new laws and rules. The fact that Australia established an antisemitism commission shows the government recognizes that existing tools (like platform policies and current hate speech laws) are not stopping the problem.

Burns criticized social media companies directly. When a sitting federal MP complains about antisemitic posts and nothing changes, it shows the gap between what platforms promise (their community rules) and what they actually do. Governments in Australia, Europe, and the UK are trying to fix this gap by creating actual legal requirements instead of relying on companies to police themselves. Australia's Online Safety Act lets the eSafety Commissioner order the removal of harmful content, but Burns's testimony suggests these options haven't worked well enough for him.

Why Partners Get Targeted

When researchers look at organized online harassment campaigns, they find that prejudice doesn't travel alone. Hate campaigns against Jewish people often also include sexist attacks on their female partners or family members. The fact that Burns raised his partner's experience in his testimony—rather than just talking about his own harassment—shows how far-reaching this problem has become.

What Happens Now

The commission will write a report with recommendations. If it suggests that platforms must respond to complaints within a certain timeframe, or if it proposes changes to hate speech laws to cover gaps in online conduct, Burns's testimony will be evidence supporting those ideas. The arson attack is especially important because it links online harassment to real physical danger—something that will help convince lawmakers that this is a serious problem needing serious solutions.