Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The need for the Government to issue an official response to the National Anti-Racism Framework by the end of the month, given this comprehensive and actionable approach to racism was handed down in November 2024 and the Government has so far failed to respond to or action the recommendations in the report.

On Sunday, at a peaceful iftar celebration in Ballarat, a white supremacist attacked Muslim community members, storming into the event, threatening children and throwing punches while yelling hateful, deeply racist abuse. Children who were there have since been too traumatised to sleep in their own beds. What did the police do? They gave the perpetrator a move-on order. This is one of the latest examples of rising racism and hate in this country and how it's not being taken seriously.

In the past few years, we've seen racism become increasingly vile and blatant. We've seen the Neo-Nazi attack on Camp Sovereignty, the white-supremacist bombing of Aboriginal people at the Invasion Day rally in Boorloo, threats and planned attacks on mosques and the horrific Bondi massacre. Racism in this country is everywhere, but Labor refuses to act.

This government has a solution sitting on a shelf, but, despite the frightening rise in racism, you have done nothing. Sixteen months ago, in November 2024, the Race Discrimination Commissioner handed down the National anti-racism framework, a road map for how this country can tackle racism. The work was funded by this government, and you patted yourself on the back for it at the time. The framework is based on extensive community consultations, hearing from those most affected by racism about how it manifests and what can be done to address it. It is an actionable framework, presenting 63 clear recommendations across areas such as law, justice, health, education, media and workplaces—including parliament as a workplace, of course. The framework provides a holistic, whole-of-society approach to tackling racism.

The government has been served the solutions on a platter, ready to go, but Labor has gone missing. It's typical Labor—happy to commission plenty of reports and inquiries to kick the can down the road but completely silent when it comes to taking action. That's what we have seen. Sixteen months after the National anti-racism framework was handed down, the government has not formally responded to the recommendations. There has been no acknowledgement of this piece of work at all, let alone any implementation or real action to address racism in this country. So much, Labor, for your commitment to tackling racism! Shame.

Lask week, a group of 12 fellow crossbenchers and I wrote to the Prime Minister, Minister Aly, the Attorney-General and Minister McCarthy about the framework, requesting an official government response by the end of March. My motion here today mirrors this request and couldn't be more timely. We know that the government itself perpetrates racism every day in this very place by shutting down women of colour such as Senators Faruqi, Payman and I and by enabling racism in the chamber rather than addressing it. Last week, you shut down a motion by Senator Faruqi and I calling for racism, sexism and discrimination in the Senate chamber to be addressed. What have you done? You've just introduced a racist migration bill that is blatantly Islamophobic and will prevent people whose lives are currently threatened by a war this government is a part of from being able to seek asylum in this country. Shame.

Today, we will see whether you will stand by a report that you funded and commissioned, whether you stand by your word that your government takes racism seriously or whether you're all talk and no action. It is a small ask—just, at least, respond to the framework's recommendations. It's not much to do, it's not hard, but it's something. Racism stops with me, but does racism stop with the Labor government?