Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the matter of public importance, and I do so quite conscious of the fact that, while my views may differ on this from those of others in the chamber, I acknowledge that the intention of those who disagree with me on this, in many cases, does come from a good place. It comes from a belief that they are, at times, promoting the principle of freedom of speech. What concerns me is the reality of what changes to section 18C will do, as opposed to simply the theoretical, rhetorical position. But let me begin.

I think the principle of freedom of speech is a very important one. The principle of being able to have an environment in which different people can propose opposing views, and views that are not always the same, is something we should be very proud of and something we should enshrine. What concerns me when governments go down the path of changing things like the Racial Discrimination Act is what message that sends to the outside community. I appreciate and respect that some may argue that the message it sends is that we are going to be a tolerant society with freedom of speech. But the reality is it gives a green light to a handful of bigots, a handful of those full of hate and a handful of those who want to denigrate and mock others to behave in an appalling way.

One of the many things that makes this country so fantastic is that we are a country of migrants. We are a country that is built on the idea people are able to come here from around the world, are able to maintain their culture, are able to maintain their identity, are able to maintain their language and be Australian at the same time. That is an incredibly important principle and a principle that we need to protect. The danger, when you go down the path of tampering with things like the Racial Discrimination Act, is that you start sending a signal to those out there who want to misuse this kind of language, who want to promote hate. You start sending a message that is okay to be a bigot. I really worry about what the long-term consequences of that are.

You only have to talk to the migrant communities across the country to realise we are so lucky to be able to live in a tolerant, open, free society with over 260 different ethnic communities and languages interacting with one another in Sydney alone, which really is a cultural melting pot. We are so lucky to live in that environment. There is a small minority though who promote hate. There is a small minority who promote racist views, who make the lives of those migrants harder and harder.

When you speak to the community leaders, when you speak to the parents, when you speak to the mums and dads who come from migrant backgrounds, the reason why they are so concerned about all of this is because they are not seeing it through the prism of theoretical debate in the nation's parliament about the principle of freedom of speech. They are seeing it through the reality of what kind of a green light it sends for what is said to their child in the playground.

I think there is a real disconnect that we have to make sure we bridge in this debate. Let us not kid ourselves, those 76 of us who have the privilege of being in this chamber are incredibly lucky. We have an incredible opportunity and an incredible platform. That is not a benefit that most people have and that is why when we have this debate we make sure we understand the disconnect between where we are now, how we have the debate, the theoretical debate we have about this idea of freedom of speech and the reality of what watering down something like the Racial Discrimination Act will be the message that sends and the symbol that sends.

I was here for Senator Day's contribution. While the principle is something that is laudable and important, the reality of what happens when you start watering down something like the Racial Discrimination Act is that it sends a message. I worry that the message it sends is that it is okay to be a bigot, that it is okay to promote racist views, that it is okay to promote views the majority of Australians do not hold. I think the concern out there in the community about is legitimate and is real because they are the parents, they are the families, that they are communities that have to deal with the consequence of those views being promoted.