Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you. As I was saying, the reason that this debate is urgent is that these remarks are not only in breach of standing order 193, to not personally reflect on another senator, but also clearly in breach of the behavioural code for Australian parliamentarians, which this chamber adopted on 8 February this year. Clause 11 of that code states, 'It is a prohibited behaviour for senators to discriminate in any form, including on the grounds of race or religion.' That code, which this chamber has endorsed, describes such behaviour as unacceptable, and it says that it 'will not be tolerated, condoned or ignored'. That is why it is urgent that we debate this matter today and why I sought to make a statement but instead am suspending standing orders to address this matter.

Senators are meant to be complying with this behaviour code even before the enforcement body, the independent parliamentary standards commission, is eventually established—and I urge the government to hurry up on that front. I am calling on Senator Hanson to withdraw her comments—comments that, I might add, she has made on a number of previous occasions as well—that she will drive Senator Faruqi to the airport and wave her away. It is tantamount to saying, 'Go back to where you came from,' as if Senator Faruqi is not an Australian, as if Senator Faruqi is not a citizen of this country, as if she is not an elected representative for the people of New South Wales. Senator Hanson needs to withdraw these remarks and apologise unconditionally.

The whole point of having codes of conduct, as recommended by the Set the standard report, as endorsed by this chamber, is to set the standard for other workplaces. It's to make this a safe workplace, it's to act with dignity and it's to not actively discriminate against others on the basis of their race, their gender, their sexuality, their religion. People of colour deserve to feel safe and welcome in this country and not have the likes of Senator Hanson say foul and racially discriminatory things which amount to 'Go back to where you came from.' There is no place for this kind of hateful language here or anywhere in this country.

If Senator Hanson will not voluntarily withdraw her repugnant remarks against Senator Faruqi and apologise for them, I ask you, President, to ask Senator Hanson to uphold the standing orders and the behaviour code and withdraw and apologise.