Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to advise that we have some distinguished guests with us today. Firstly, we have the Hon. Peter McGauran, the former member for Gippsland and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Howard government, on the floor of the House. We make him most welcome. We have with us Mr Paul Neville, the former member for Hinkler. We also have with us the Hon. Jim Short, the former member for Ballarat and then senator for Victoria. We make you both welcome. I would also like to acknowledge the presence in the House of the members of the National Imams Consultative Forum who are meeting today with the government to discuss how we can continue to work together to tackle radicalism and violent extremism. We make you most welcome.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence—and I suspect the Leader of the Opposition will want to join me—it is good to have all of our distinguished former members here in the House today, but it is particularly good to have the members of the imams council here in the House today. We are all determined to build a more inclusive and more cohesive society. We are all determined to build a country which is a beacon of hope and optimism for people from right around the world. I welcome and I cherish your contribution to that.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I seek to join the Prime Minister to acknowledge all of our distinguished guests. It is lovely to see Paul Neville here. I too wish to acknowledge the imams council of Australia. Muslim Australia is a fundamental part of the tapestry of Australia. Muslims in Australia make a great contribution to our multiculturalism and to the progress and success of us as a nation. Tolerance, be it Christian, Muslim, Jewish or any other faith, is a fundamental part of who we are, and we welcome freedom of speech and we welcome protection from hate speech. Welcome here.