Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Finally, after three decades of piling hate and racism on Muslims, Asians and people of colour, at least some of us in this chamber want to hold Senator Hanson to account. Of course, the decades of harm that One Nation and Senator Hanson have caused to people of colour, Muslims and Asians by her racism and dog whistling won't be taken away by this motion, but it is a start.

Eight years ago, when Senator Hanson did this pathetic stunt for the first time, there was no Muslim in this chamber. There were no Muslim women in this chamber. There are two of us now, and we have been making sure—and we will make sure in the future as well—that racism and Islamophobia is called out every time and that people who perpetrate it are held to account.

It says so much about those sitting opposite me. They talk this talk of a wonderful multicultural nation. I must say that when I came here first, in 1992, I did think that the richness of people that came here from all parts of the world was what made this country so fantastic. But you can't just speak words. You can't just speak words and not call out what is actually happening—