Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two events—and the difference between them couldn't be starker. On the one hand, in this place of all places, we saw a playground level performance by Treasurer Frydenberg when he ridiculed ashrams and mocked Hinduism for a political point—a demonstration of an extraordinary lack of respect for a religion not his own. But, in the real world, back in Parramatta, there was an event that was all about respect, when people of two ancient religions came together. The people of the Shakti Temple, people in my community who follow one of the oldest religions on earth, Hinduism, came together with Indigenous Australians, from the oldest living culture on earth, with a smoking ceremony for their soon to be reopened temple. It was, quite frankly, a lovely moment of Australian-ness—a coming together, with profound respect, of people from two ancient cultures recognising and acknowledging the beliefs and traditions that matter to each other and marking a significant moment together. This is the community where I live, where trust and acknowledgement of things that matter are the norm. That is what we should expect here in this Parliament of Australia—and, quite frankly, Minister Frydenberg must lift both his game and his gaze.

In Parramatta, our Hindu community is amazing and a delight. For those who don't know Hinduism, if you've dabbled in yoga, meditation or mindfulness, you've dabbled in something with millennia of history. There is much to learn from each other if we keep our minds open—and that's what we should be doing in this place, the Parliament of Australia.