Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to begin by thanking the member for McMahon for moving this motion. Respectfully, as far as I'm aware, there isn't a very large Assyrian population—in fact, I suspect there is virtually no Assyrian population—in the federal electorate of Goldstein. But I'm standing here to support this motion from a position of principle—the principle that all people have a place on this earth and have a right to the basic tenets of freedom and security in live their lives. This is a considered position, based on the principle that if you wish to have a society which is cohesive and sustainable then decentralisation of governance and control, and self-determination are critical for all people. This principle is to make sure we all understand that it doesn't matter who you are—the basis of your ethnicity or your social, religious, sexual orientation or gender identity—everybody has a place in this world and the right to be treated with decency and respect, and everybody has a right to a place to call home.

That's the basis on which I support this motion. The spirit of it is quite clear: the Assyrian people, particularly those who are living in Iraq, have experienced discrimination and violence, and they deserve a place which they can call home and to be safe and secure in their lives. The reality is that that hasn't been their recent history. As a consequence of that, we have people who have felt persecuted and discriminated against simply on the basis of who they are—both because of their heritage and, more critically, because of their religious beliefs. There's no place for that in this world—I'm sure you also share that view, Deputy Speaker Zimmerman—and there is certainly no place for it in this country.

When you are the custodians of a lived heritage which extends for thousands of years—in Iraq for 6,000 years—it isn't just the custodianship of a heritage and culture which you want to keep alive but it's one that we as a common people and humanity should wish to keep alive. Survival of culture, traditions and history rests so much in the continued living of culture, particularly around languages. When people are isolated or separated from their country or land and don't have the capacity to coexist peacefully then that language, tradition and culture diminishes progressively. That makes humanity worse off, not just the custodians who lose their identity and their sense of cultural significance.

Deputy Speaker, as you know, this comes from a position of principle, as well as my Armenian heritage and some of the tragedies which befell them as a minority group in some communities—with consequences that have befallen them throughout history because of isolation, discrimination and persecution of them because of their history and traditions. Of course, coming from the Goldstein electorate I represent the third-largest Jewish community in Australia. There is another community which knows very well the lived experience of people being treated like that—used, abused and persecuted—because of their religion, ethnic heritage and identity.

This goes to the heart of a speech I gave in this parliament only last week, extending on the recent speech by the Prime Minister to the United Israel Appeal. He talked specifically about the horrors of identity politics. That's when we cease to see people through their common humanity and start to identify them through their identity. That can be used both to bolster or to persecute, and we can lose sight of what brings us together as a people. Of course it's our common humanity that builds the bridge between us when we sometimes have differences in our history and our traditions—that's to build a more perfect humanity for all.

It starts with acknowledging and understanding people's basic right to live out their lives. It's that sense of commonality and equality between all people, regardless of their background; their right to safety and security; their right to be free to exercise their conscience as they see fit; and, of course, to manifest that consistently with respect for the rights and freedoms of others. When those principles are violated, it isn't just those who are the victims of it individually but it's a violence that's perpetrated on all of us. That's the basis on which there's validation of harm that can be done to any person, simply because of who they are, their background and their right to exist. That's why we must always stand up on these important issues—we must stand up for a common sense of humanity—particularly for the Assyrian people and Christian minorities in Iraq. That is why we stand with them today.

See this speech in context