Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

All of us come into this chamber and talk up our electorates. It's part of our job and we do it because we're proud of the places we represent. I'm privileged to work with so many different leaders in a very diverse community. That word, 'diversity', means different things to different people. When I think of diversity in Moreton, I see a community rich in different ethnicities and cultures, one where diverse groups work together, support each other and celebrate shared values. But it's not a perfect community because in Moreton, in the Treasurer's seat of Rankin and in the Speaker's seat of Oxley, racism is something that people can face in the shopping aisles. We've worked with our communities over the years towards building acceptance and understanding, even on the things we might disagree on—whether those be religious legislation, marriage equality or migration changes.

Last week, I heard the member for Griffith come in here and talk about social cohesion as if it didn't matter. For most white blokes representing white-bread land, racism is something they've read about in textbooks. If you don't get it, here's what one Google definition says about social cohesion:

… the capacity of a society to ensure the welfare of all its members, minimising disparities and avoiding polarisation.

I don't see anything wrong with that. But I'll tell you what is wrong: elected representatives who cannot see that they have the responsibility as leaders in their communities to bring people together. If you don't understand that, you should check your privilege and your politically mercenary heart in at the door.

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