Senate debates

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Motions

Marginalisation of Ethnically Diverse Communities

4:52 pm

Photo of Richard Di NataleRichard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Before moving general business notice of motion No. 562, I inform the chamber that Senator Griff will also co-sponsor the motion. I, and also on behalf of Senators Faruqi and Griff, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes with serious concern the further marginalisation of ethnically diverse communities in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic;

(b) recognises that:

  (i) anti-Asian racism has spiked during COVID-19, and there has been a sharp increase in reported cases of racist incidents in the public and racial discrimination complaints made to the Australian Human Rights Commission, and

  (ii) the Asian Australian Alliance's COVID-19 Incident Report Survey found that 81% of the respondents said recent racist incidents they experienced were a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic;

(c) celebrates Australia's cultural diversity as essential to who we are as a nation; and

(d) calls on the Government to:

  (i) fund an ongoing national anti-racism campaign through the Human Rights Commission,

  (ii) establish a charter of rights that ensures everyone in Australia is treated equally with guaranteed access to essential services, and that the Government cannot discriminate against anyone based on the colour of their skin or their visa status,

  (iii) take a stand against racism by adding hate speech to the Criminal Code Act; and

  (iv) ensure that ethnically diverse communities are not left behind in the nation's recovery from COVID-19.

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