Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes the litany of sexist, misogynistic, and racist slogans which have been used by Wicked Campers on their hire vans, including:

'In every princess, there's a little slut who wants to try it just once',

'Fat chicks are harder to kidnap',

'Save a whale…harpoon a Jap',

'Women are like banks – once you withdraw you lose interest', and

'A wife: an attachment you screw on the bed to get the housework done'; and

(b) condemns the use of such slogans and calls on Wicked Campers to remove slogans which are sexist, misogynistic, or racist from their vans.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

While the government support the intent of the motion and of course do not condone such statements, we are disappointed by the explicit language in the motion, now acknowledged by the Senate. There is no doubt that the Senate and Australian society do not and will not tolerate such statements. They have no place in modern Australia. I should be clear that we do not condone these statements and we support the motivation behind this motion. However, we do believe that this could have been presented to the Senate differently whilst still making this very important point.

Question agreed to.