Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for that very important question and the great work that she does on behalf of her constituents in that great state of Victoria. The passage of the Racial Discrimination Act was a historic step, for the first time making racial discrimination unlawful in Australia through federal legislation. Back then, the White Australia policy had only recently been rightly completely abolished by the Whitlam government in 1973, removing race as a determining factor for immigration decisions.

The establishment of the Racial Discrimination Act created a right that had not previously existed in common law—that is, the right not to be discriminated against on the grounds of race. The act contains both a general provision making racial discrimination unlawful under section 9 and specific protections in areas including employment, the provision of goods, housing and accommodation. The act also provides the template for the states and the territories to follow, all of whom have since enacted their own antidiscrimination laws.

For the past 50 years, the Racial Discrimination Act has provided a standard to which we can aspire where all members of our community are treated respectfully without distinction to race, colour, descent or nationality. As Prime Minister Whitlam said in the statement on the proclamation of the act:

The purpose of the Racial Discrimination Act is … to set standards for the future, and build a climate of maturity, of goodwill, of co-operation and understanding at all levels of society.