Kerry Nettle (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank all senators for their contributions to this debate on the value of multiculturalism. It is a great shame that the Prime Minister of this country is not able to do the same thing. I also want to thank Senator Brandis for raising the Greens’ proud track record of defending people who have diverse sexuality. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his own party or for this government. The senator may be interested to know that when two young gay men were hanged in Iran last year, I raised the issue with the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade responded that it had raised concerns with the Iranian government about the deaths of these two young men, on the basis of its opposition to the death penalty. I was pleased to hear that that had occurred. But the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was not able to provide me with any information to say that it had raised concerns with the government of Iran about the fact that homosexuality in Iran is a crime that is punishable by death.

If Senator Brandis, Senator Mason or, indeed, the foreign minister is able to provide me or the Senate with any information about the Australian government raising concerns on this issue, I would be very pleased to hear it, because, as far as I know, I was the only member of parliament who stood up for these two young Iranian men who were sentenced to death last year—and their only crime was that they were young gay men. I am proud to have stood up for those two young men. If any other member of parliament were to do such a thing, I would be more than pleased to hear about it. And I would be more than pleased if I were to hear that the Australian government raised that issue. All I have been told so far is that the government raised concerns about the death penalty. That is good, but the government has not been able to indicate to me that it raised any concerns with the Iranian government about the fact that homosexuality in Iran is a crime punishable by death and that these two young men were hanged. I called on the government and the foreign minister to raise this issue, and I have still not heard if they did. They have only told me that they raised concerns about the death penalty.

If Senator Brandis, Senator Mason or Mr Downer is able to provide me with that information, I would be more than happy to hear it. I commend this motion to the Senate, and I would now like to hear the Prime Minister speak about the value of multiculturalism. (Time expired)

Question put:

That the motion (That the motion (Senator Nettle’s) be agreed to.) be agreed to.