Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to make a few short remarks. Senator Wong foreshadowed that we would seek to close debate after 30 minutes, which we are up against now. I think we have a moment here today, really, to stand together and say that what happened yesterday, the stunt by Senator Hanson, was wrong, it was hurtful to many in this place and it punched down and vilified Australian Muslims, and it has consequences. It has consequences that reach out far beyond the walls of this place, and Senator Hanson knows that. Because of that, we find ourselves here today, again, seeking to show leadership and to take a stand about what happened yesterday, which was wrong. All of us should be working to stand together on that.

In the course of the debate, Senator Faruqi made some assertions that were incorrect. So I do feel, because of the nature of this debate and because of what was said, that we should make it very clear that, when the Christchurch killings happened, there was a motion passed in this place and significant comments were made at that time, as I recall. In fact, it was a time passed for this place. It was when the former Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Cormann, worked with the former Leader of the Opposition, Senator Wong, to make sure that this place put on the record exactly what we thought about that. To suggest that nothing happened at that time and that we didn't stand with people of Muslim faith and place on the record our complete and total rejection of what the perpetrator of that massacre stood for is incorrect. Again, the Senate stood together, against Senator Anning when he made unacceptable and appalling comments. The motion was clear and was moved, actually, in that instance by Senator Cormann and Senator Wong, working together across the chamber—again, the Senate making a stand, showing leadership, doing the job that the people of Australia send us here to do. It's to pull people together and to unite the country, not just seek to pick fights and vilify and punch down on particular groups for fun, for content, for a stunt. That's not what they send us here to do. And to Senator Faruqi I would say the same thing: it doesn't do your cause any progress at all by attacking—