Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I remember, as a young Asian Australian—and I think I speak for many of my generation—how comforted we were by the bipartisan support for a non-discriminatory immigration system, including by members of the Liberal Party, and by bipartisan condemnation by many of Senator Hanson when she was in her first iteration.

I want to acknowledge Senators Scarr and McLachlan for their principled stance yesterday because it speaks to a history of bipartisan support for respect and equality that we have in this country. Senator, what I would say to you is that we may not agree on everything, but, surely, people can stand together against racism, which is what this Senate sought to do yesterday. It saddens me that, instead, you chose to engage as much in an attack on me personally as on Senator Hanson.