Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last week I was notified that horrific white supremacist recruitment material was dropped into letterboxes around my electorate of Bennelong. Bennelong is home to one of most culturally diverse communities in the country: 66 per cent of those living in Bennelong have at least one parent born overseas, and 54 per cent of those living in Bennelong were themselves born overseas. In the area where this flyer was dropped, Chinese Australians make up nearly half of the local population—48.8 per cent, to be exact.

This deliberate choice to disseminate such hateful material within our diverse community was not just a random act; it was a targeted effort to intimidate our multicultural community. I say to those who dropped these flyers in Bennelong that we will not be intimidated by their racism. I say to them that our diversity makes our community stronger, safer and more prosperous. Not long ago, identifying yourself as a racist brought shame to you and your family. Seemingly it is now increasingly being worn by some as a badge of honour. That has to change, and for as long as I'm in this place I'll continue to call it out.

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