Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

As an Noongar Yamatji woman and Labor senator for WA, I stand here with deep pride to reflect on and mark the 50-year anniversary of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. It's one of the most important and transformative pieces of legislation in our nation's history.

When the Parliament of Australia passed the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, it became the first federal law to make it unlawful to treat someone unfairly because of their race, colour, descent, nationhood or ethnic origin. It was an extraordinary moment in the story of this country, and it came after decades of struggle by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and migrant communities who demanded recognition, equality and respect. It came after the shame of the White Australia policy and after generations of exclusion that denied so many people their basic rights.

This landmark reform was the work of a Labor government. It was the Whitlam Labor government that introduced and passed the act, drawing inspiration from the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. In doing so, Labor placed Australia firmly on the side of equality and human rights. Prime Minister Gough Whitlam called it 'a historic measure' to 'entrench new attitudes of tolerance and understanding in the hearts and minds of the people'. It was Labor's belief in fairness, the dignity of every person and the power of government to deliver social justice that made this act possible.

For my people, First Nations and First Australians, the act was part of a much longer journey towards equality. It didn't erase the wounds of dispossession or the pain of the stolen generations, but it offered a new framework for justice. It gave Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a voice in the courts and in the community, and it laid the foundations for future reforms, from land rights to native title and from self-determination to reconciliation. Fifty years on, the Racial Discrimination Act remains the cornerstone of our democracy. It has helped Australians challenge racism, advance fairness and build a society that celebrates diversity instead of fearing it. It reminds us that difference is not a threat to be managed but a strength, in fact, to be embraced.

Anniversaries are not only for celebration; they are also for reckoning. While we can be proud of how far we've come, we must also be honest about how far we still have to go. Racism is not an artefact of history; it persists in our institutions, in our systems and in the daily lives of too many First Nations and culturally diverse Australians. As an Indigenous Labor senator, I see the Racial Discrimination Act not as a relic of the past but as a living commitment, a reminder that laws alone cannot end racism but can light a path towards justice. Every generation has a responsibility to renew that commitment and to make sure equality before the law is matched by equality in life.

This act was born of courage and conviction from people who refused to accept that division is inevitable. Our task now is to carry that spirit forward to ensure that every person, regardless of their background, can live with dignity and without fear of discrimination. The Racial Discrimination Act was a promise made by a Labor government that believed in fairness, equality and justice for all. Our job now is to keep that promise alive.