Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When I was a teenager growing up, the first time I questioned my place in this country was when the newly elected member for Oxley said in her first speech:

I and most Australians want our immigration policy radically reviewed and that of multiculturalism abolished. I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians.

She went on to say:

They have their own culture and religion, form ghettos and do not assimilate.

It was a message that made me feel deeply unwelcomed here, but it was also a reminder that our multicultural society can be attacked and threatened. It was a reminder that we all have a role to play to nurture and defend multicultural Australia, because a multicultural and multifaith country does not come easily. It takes work from all of us, and that hard work is worth it.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reminds us of a simple truth: a fair society does not happen by accident. Political leaders need to step up. Community leaders need to step up. All of us need to step up. Racial discrimination is not something confined to the past. It is something people still experience in their daily lives, in workplaces, in schools, in the media and online, and sometimes even at their places of worship. That is why this day must be more than symbolic. It must be a call to action. In Australia, we are rightly proud of our multicultural success story. We are a country shaped by migration and by the belief that people from every background should be able to build a good life here. That belief has made us stronger. It has enriched us as a nation. It has helped make modern Australia the way it is.

I know it personally. In 1978, my parents were welcomed in this country. My family is of Chinese heritage, but my parents were born and raised in Laos, and they fled their homeland and were incredibly lucky that Australia gave them refuge. When my parents came here, they had limited formal education and spoke very little English, but they worked hard in factories and they were able to find secure work with good conditions. They gave my brother and I the education opportunities that they never had, and our family was able to thrive here. It is a story shared by so many in my electorate of Reid and across the country—families who came here seeking peace, safety and possibility; families who worked hard so their children could have more opportunities than they did; families who believed in Australia even before Australia fully believed in them. That is why racial discrimination cuts so deeply. It tells people that, no matter how much they contribute, no matter how hard they work, no matter how much they love this country, they will still be seen as seen by some as less than fully belonging. And that is unacceptable.

We have seen in recent years how quickly prejudice can harden into abuse, intimidation and hatred. We have seen racism directed at many communities. We have seen an unacceptable rise in antisemitism. The attack at Bondi last year was not only a shocking act of violence; it was a devastating blow to the Jewish community and to every Australian who believes in safety, dignity and respect. Jewish Australians are reporting that they feel less safe, and no-one should have to think twice before walking into a synagogue or expressing their identity.

We have also seen a deeply troubling rise in Islamophobia, with increasing threats made to the Muslim community and attacks on their mosques. The International Day to Combat Islamophobia is recognised internationally on 15 March. The date commemorates the Christchurch mosque attacks, the deadliest act of terrorism against Muslims in our region. This year, that anniversary fell during the holy month of Ramadan, a time of deep spiritual reflection and heightened communal activity for Muslims. That coincidence makes the moment even more solemn and even more important, because no-one should feel threatened for going to prayer, and no-one should fear abuse because they wear a hijab. We must be unequivocal. Antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism have no place in Australia—not in our streets, not on our campuses, not online and not in our politics. The safety of every community is a shared responsibility. In the face of grief and fear, we choose unity and compassion. Protecting Australians from hate motivated violence and intimidation is essential to safeguarding our democratic freedoms, our social cohesion and our national identity. When any community feels unsafe, the strength of our national fabric is weakened.

Recently, Senator Hanson said in a TV interview that there are no good Muslims. She is wrong. She was wrong in 1996 when she stood up to say multiculturalism in Australia should be abolished, and she continues to be wrong today with her bigotry towards Muslims. I feel sad for that young Muslim Australian whose political awakening may be made by those comments by Senator Hanson. It might make them question their place in this country, just as it made me question my place here decades ago. This is my message to that young Muslim Australian and to all young Australians: you are not defined by your background, your faith, the postcode you grew up in or the school that you went to. In this country you are defined by the content of your character and what you want to do for others. It's a country where the daughter of migrants fleeing conflict in Indochina can become a member of the Australian parliament representing one of the most diverse electorates in the country.

What drives me every day is to build a more inclusive and welcoming country where every child, regardless of their race or religion, grows up knowing they belong and where our diversity is seen for what it is: one of our greatest national strengths. The Australia I believe in is one where good governments change lives by expanding opportunity, by defending dignity, by making sure every person can participate fully, by rejecting division and by making it clear that hatred has no place in our democracy. That is the promise of Australia. It is the promise that people from every background can build a life here in safety and with dignity. It is the promise that your name, your face, your faith or your family history should never be a barrier to your future. So let us say it plainly—no to antisemitism, no to Islamophobia and no to racism.

Sarah Witty (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In a place like Melbourne, it can be easy to point to diversity and feel the job is done. We see diversity in our streets, in our schools and in the community that I represent and am proud of. But, when we listen closely, we hear something else. We hear that for many people the experience of this country is not the same and that, even in places that look inclusive, people still carry moments where they are treated differently, where they are questioned and where they are made to feel they are outside something they should belong to. If we are serious about eliminating racial discrimination, we have to start by listening to the people who have experienced it—not explaining it away, not comparing it, but hearing it for what it is.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination exists for a reason. It comes from a moment in 1960, in Sharpeville, South Africa, where people gathered to peacefully protest apartheid laws and were met with violence. Lives were lost and the world was forced to confront what happens when racial injustice is allowed to go unchecked. That moment does not belong to one country, but to all, because while Australia's story is different, it is not separate from the same question of fairness, of equality and of who is made to feel like they belong.

The story of this country begins with the oldest, continuous civilisation on earth. For tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have cared for this land, built cultures of extraordinary depth and passed knowledge from generation to generation. That history is not just in the distance; it is part of the present. It reminds us that questions of fairness and Justice in this country did not begin recently. They have been part of our story for a long time, and they are still part of our responsibility today.

If we want to understand what facing these questions look like in practice, we can look to my electorate of Melbourne, because this is where it is tested every day—not in theory, not in policy, but in real life. I see it when I walk through Chinatown, the largest, continuous Chinese settlement in the Western world where generations have built community, businesses and a sense of belonging in the heart of our city. I see it in Richmond and in Abbotsford, where the Vietnamese community has built an enduring place, shaping the streets, the culture and the identity of the suburb. I see it in the Somali communities across inner Melbourne, where families are building lives, raising children and starting to shape what our city will become next.

As I spend time with these communities, I also hear something deeper: discrimination has not disappeared. It's not always loud. It's not always called out. But it is still there, in comments that are brushed off, in assumptions that go unchallenged, in moments that people carry, even when they do not speak about them. That silence does not mean it is not there; it means that people have learnt to carry it. If we do not hear these stories or do not listen to the people living them every day, we risk building a picture of Australia that is only true for some people. But across Melbourne, people are not waiting for things to be perfect. We are building community anyway.

The strength of this amazing city is in the places where people come together, in places like Youlden Parkville Cricket Club, where people from different backgrounds play side by side and build something shared over time; in places like Queen Victoria Market, where culture, food, language and tradition are where diversity is part of everyday life; and, in schools like Abbotsford Primary School, where bilingual education is not treated as something different but as something core to who we can be.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 11:28 to 11:40

This is what cohesion looks like: not something declared but something built. It only holds if we keep choosing it.

Even in a city like Melbourne, it can slip. It slips in the moment someone laughs off a comment that should have been called out, when a name gets shortened because it feels easier than correcting it and when someone walks into a room and quietly works out how much of themselves is safe to show. It shows up in small decisions: a pause before speaking, a choice to stay quiet, a decision to not put your hand up this time—not because people lack ability but because they are reading the space around them. These moments build. They follow people into classrooms, into workplaces and into the choices they make about what they go for and what they step back from. Over time, they shape who participates, who leads and who feels like they belong.

If we are serious about the kind of community we say we are, we cannot just point to diversity and assume that is enough. There is a difference between celebrating diversity and defending it. Celebration is easy; defending it is much harder. It means acting when something is not right, it means listening when people tell us that something is not working and it means being prepared to change what we are doing when the evidence is there. This is not about getting it right once; it's about continuing to learn and continuing to respond. This is where government matters, because government has a responsibility to not just to reflect the country but respond to it.

This government looks more like modern Australia than ever before. It reflects the diversity of the people it represents, and that matters. When people are in the room, their experiences are in the room too, and that shapes what gets heard. This government is taking action. Through the National Anti-Racism Framework, we are setting a clear direction for how institutions respond to racism. Through investment in multicultural community organisations, we are backing the people who are already doing the work on the ground. Through stronger protections in the workplace and public life, we are making it clear that discrimination is not acceptable. Through education and community programs, we are helping build understanding earlier so that the next generation expects something better.

But we also know this: policy alone does not solve this. It only works if we stay connected to the people who are experiencing it. I have had conversations with people in my life that have stayed with me. One was with my sister and her husband. Her husband is Maori and has darker skin. They were both asked a simple question: do you think Australia is racist? They answered the question at the same time—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 11:43 to 11:55

My sister and her husband were asked: do you think Australia is a racist country? They answered at the same time. My sister, who looks like me, said no. Her husband said yes. They both meant it, because they were speaking from lived experience. That moment has stayed with me because it shows something we have to be willing to face—that people can live in the same place, build the same life and still experience this country in very different ways. If we are serious about eliminating racial discrimination, we have to be willing to hold the truth—not one version of the story but all of them.

Melbourne shows us what is possible. It's a city where people do not just live side by side; they live together. It's a city built on contribution, on community and on people showing up for each other. But it also reminds us of something else—that this work is never finished. In the end, this comes down to something simple. When the moment comes, when something is said, when something is done, when something is not right, we all face the same choice: to stand up or to stand by. I know what my choice is. For the people I represent, for the community that raised me and for an Australia where no-one should be made to feel like they do not belong, I will stand up so they do not stand alone.

Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Saturday 21 March was the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Here in Australia, the commitment to eliminating racism has never been more important. The following is the picture of racial hatred in this country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a mainstreaming of racism and violence towards people of Chinese and Asian origin. I heard from constituents in Kooyong that they experienced racism against themselves and their family members for the first time ever during COVID. During the Voice referendum, we witnessed visible and widespread racism against First Nations people, adding to the systemic injustice that they endure every day. After 7 October 2023, both antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism surged and have been an ongoing scourge in our communities since that time. Between 2023 and 2024, in-person Islamophobia more than doubled. Antisemitism, sadly, has also massively increased in the communities that I and many other members of this chamber represent.

In recent years, antimigration rallies and racially charged demonstrations have tested the strength of our multicultural identity. During the federal election campaign last year, a number of events in the electorate that I represent of Kooyong were disrupted by Neo-Nazis, an unthinkable thing five or 10 years ago. In 2025, Indian migrants in our communities were subjected to targeted abuse and propaganda, worsened in some cases by some colleagues from this place. During last year's Hanukkah festivities, the unthinkable tragedy of the Bondi massacre affected all Australians but most particularly those who are Jewish. Just last month, a prominent politician—from this place again—brazenly claimed during the sacred month of Ramadan that there are no good Muslims.

This is a brief and, sadly, incomplete picture of racism in Australia over just the last five years. Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giri Sivaraman, says that there has never been a more urgent time to address racism in this country. I think he's right. Many Australians are scared. They're scared for their safety. They're scared of racial intolerance. They're scared, with good reason, of unprovoked violence. It's not a problem that we can ignore—that we can put off to the next electoral cycle. It's a problem that demands urgent action now.

In November 2024, the Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner delivered The national anti-racism framework:a roadmap to eliminating racism in Australia. It's the most comprehensive plan in Australia's history. It's our first whole-of-government, whole-of-society framework designed to address racism at a national level. It was developed through extensive consultation with hundreds of communities and hundreds of organisations across the country. More than 50 civil society organisations have joined together and have asked for national leadership from the Albanese government to fully fund and fully implement that national antiracism framework. But, 16 months later, we're still waiting for the Albanese government to respond—16 months.

So are we really surprised when the Prime Minister and the home affairs minister are booed at a mosque in Lakemba during Eid prayers? What happened last week in Lakemba was just a visible expression of a deep anger from many Australian communities: anger at what they see as seeming indifference; anger at a government which, many people feel, has allowed division to be sown and to fester.

For 16 months now, the government has chosen to neglect a report which makes it clear that racism in Australia is not just an interpersonal issue; it is deeply systemic. It exists within our employment structures. It exists and, sadly, it manifests in our provision of health care. It exists in our justice system, in our education system and in the media. And, when our institutions fail to address these inequalities, they do more than just ignore or overlook racism. They enable it.

The National anti-racism framework confronts this reality. It's honest about the systems that sustain racism in this country. Its primary recommendation calls for a modest but important first step: the establishment of a national taskforce to begin implementation. We haven't taken even that first step. The Attorney-General has indicated that the framework is being considered and that a holistic approach must be taken to ensure the rights and freedoms of all Australians. But what's holistic about doing nothing? Racism is not going to disappear on its own while the government hesitates and obfuscates.

In December 2025, I, with crossbench colleagues, wrote to the Prime Minister requesting a royal commission into the horrible events at Bondi, and I was really pleased to see the Prime Minister act to initiate the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. It's a really important step to addressing the scourge that is antisemitism in this country.

But there are two important takeaways about that royal commission that I would like the government to heed. The first is that Dennis Richardson's resignation in recent weeks sends a clear message that intelligence findings simply cannot wait until December and that we have urgency in ensuring that all Australians are safe. The second is that selective action is not enough. We have to take decisive steps as a country to address all forms of racism. That includes taking the next step: bringing the framework to life by formally endorsing it, acting on its primary recommendation to establish the national antiracism taskforce and then funding and implementing the recommendations in that framework in partnership with our communities.

At a time when racism and division are deepening, there has never been a more pressing and urgent time for the government, the Prime Minister, all members of his cabinet and all representatives of our community to demonstrate real national leadership on racism.

Jodie Belyea (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, held on 21 March—a day that calls on all of us to reflect and to act. My values have been shaped by faith, by community and by a deep belief in the inherent dignity of every human being. I was raised with a simple but enduring principle: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It is a principle shared across cultures, faiths and philosophies, and one that speaks directly to respect, responsibility and inclusion. Yet, today, many Australians feel a deep unease.

Around the world and here at home we are witnessing a troubling rise in division fuelled by fear, misinformation and the deliberate misuse of race, religion and identity—often for political gain. I hear this directly from my community of Dunkley, particularly from young people who observe political debates. They ask whether this is the future we want to create, because that is what we appear to be choosing. They see conflict abroad. They see rising antisemitism and Islamophobia. They see the ongoing impact of racism on First Nations people, and they wonder whether social cohesion is slipping from our grasp—whether it is an aspiration, a dream, or an unrealistic goal.

The people that speak to me about their fears and apprehension feel despair. Others begin to mimic the behaviour they see, believing division to be the norm. That should concern every one of us in this place. History teaches us that social cohesion is not automatic. It must be protected, nurtured and operationalised deliberately and consistently. Australia's strength has always been found in our diversity—not despite of it but because of it. We are a nation built by people from every corner of the globe, united not by conformity but by shared democratic values of fairness, respect and equality.

My own life reflects this diversity. I've close family connections within the Jewish community. I have worked with and learned from Jewish leaders and businesspeople, whose commitment to community responsibility and social justice has shaped my career. My mother introduced me to Buddhism and its teachings—including compassion, service and universal acceptance. These experiences reinforced a simple truth. While beliefs and traditions may differ, the core values of humanity are shared.

This understanding further deepened through my work with First Nations communities. From my early adulthood I committed myself to learning, listening and working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders. Leading a national indigenous youth leadership program and learning from respected leaders across the country challenged my perspectives and strengthened my resolve to stand against racism and discrimination in all its forms. As the member for Dunkley, I took an oath to serve all Australians without fear or favour. That responsibility demands more than words.

Australia is a signatory to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, a commitment that requires us not only to reject racism but to actively prevent it. Eliminating racial discrimination is not symbolic. It is a legal and moral responsibility that safeguards social cohesion, human dignity and democratic stability. It requires all of us, when we see it, to call it out, to protect communities from discrimination and to model the respect we expect of others.

In recent weeks I have seen the best of this spirit in my community at the Holi celebrations at the Shri Shiva Vishnu temple, with people of all backgrounds coming together in joy—colour replacing division and celebration replacing fear. At citizenship ceremonies I'm regularly reminded that Australia is home to more than 3,000 cultures, each representing our shared national history. I am proud to represent a community that is home to the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere; to Sikh Volunteers Australia, whose service embodies generosity and compassion; and to the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, whose guiding principle—love for all, hatred for none—offers a powerful lesson for our times.

These local experiences are reflected on the global stage. In recent months Australia has welcomed overseas leaders including Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada; the King and Queen of Denmark; and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. This past week, we have also hosted Exercise Kakadu, bringing together naval forces from 18 nations, including Canada, New Zealand, Japan, India, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and the United States. These moments matter. They remind us that the elimination of racial discrimination is critical to ensuring social cohesion. Our national security and our contribution to global peace depend on our ability to live together with trust, respect and solidarity. Cohesion at home strengthens credibility abroad.

Social cohesion begins with leadership. Those of us honoured to hold positions of influence must understand that our words and our actions carry weight far beyond this chamber. Leadership is not just about what we say; it is about what we demonstrate. If we want a cohesive, respectful and resilient nation, then those in positions of power must walk the talk every day with integrity. We cannot let leaders say that there are no good Muslims. Cohesion is not weakened by difference; it is weakened by political pointscoring not grounded in the values of respect. The elimination of racial discrimination requires leadership from all of us in this place that rejects division, policy that promotes inclusion and everyday actions that reinforce belonging, including the implementation of the National Anti-Racism Framework.

If we are to remain true to the values that define Australia—fairness, respect and equality—then we must actively choose unity over fear, inclusion over exclusion and hope over despair. Let us recommit to the simple yet powerful truth that our shared humanity is greater than any difference. In doing so, we strengthen not only our communities but the very fabric of the nation we are proud to call home.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 12 : 12