Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As you know, I have the honour of representing the most multicultural community in the country. I know the value of multiculturalism, and I know that multiculturalism works because we work at it. That is why I am very concerned about what is occurring in the Senate at the moment. It is okay for those opposite to refer to three maverick senators, but they are all members of the conservative party and they are proposing to revisit section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, once again, to make racist hate speech legal in this country. There is no point referring to them as being just uncontrollable and saying, 'They're mavericks'—not when the Prime Minister comes out and makes comments like: 'One of the greatest aspects of our nation is the diverse multicultural society that we are—one that is built on a foundation of mutual respect.' If he believes that, he should start taking these so-called 'maverick' rednecks to task. You cannot have people moving, in this House—with the very privileged position that we hold—to make racist hate speech legal. And that is what is occurring. This is anathema to all of us—and when I say 'all of us' I mean all of us who sit here who profess to represent our electorates and profess to believe in the multicultural nation that we are. To tolerate this sort of behaviour occurring within our Senate is thoroughly reprehensible. If people need that to get a vote, they should go somewhere else. At a time like this in our society, the last thing we need to do is make racial hate speech legitimate.