Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General. Before I ask it, I add the thoughts and sympathies of the Australian Greens to the sentiments expressed by Senator Brandis and Senator Wong earlier in regard to the attacks in London.

Attorney, during the inquiry into the Racial Discrimination Act, the breadth of multicultural Australia said: 'Leave 18C alone.' This included representatives of the Islamic community, the Jewish community, the Chinese community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the Lebanese community, the Vietnamese community, the Sikh community, the Japanese community, the Indian community, African communities, the Greek community, the Cambodian community and many others, including many multicultural peak bodies. They warned that weakening 18C would unleash more racism in Australia, which would harm the health and wellbeing of their members. Why do you, the Prime Minister, Senator Hanson, Senator Canavan and Senator Abetz think you know more about the shocking damage that racism can cause than the unified voice of multicultural Australia?