Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

As a Queensland senator, the only Tasmanians who are going to lecture me about Queensland are my mum and dad. That also clears up my citizenship at the same time; they were both born in Tasmania. This debate is actually all about jobs, health and education. That's what it is all about. We know what happens when those opposite do deals with One Nation—workers are the losers. They lose industrial rights and there are health cuts and education cuts. That's the consequence of these deals. When this government and the LNP do deals with One Nation, that's what we see.

As Senator McAllister highlighted, the support for multiculturalism from those opposite is just words. In question time we spoke about One Nation's policy to abolish multiculturalism. This is how One Nation describes multiculturalism:

It is negative and divisive, a weight that is drowning our once safe and cohesive society.

That is how One Nation described multiculturalism. We know that Senator Brandis has previously reprimanded Senator Hanson for ridiculing the Islamic community and said it was an appalling thing to do, but, given the opportunity in question time today, Senator Brandis failed to do it. He failed to do it in regard to One Nation and he failed to do it in regard to his Queensland LNP comrades and Tim Nicholls.

This is part of a pattern of behaviour from Senator Hanson over many years. We know she has attacked Asians. We know that she has attacked foreign students, who are economically important for Australia. She has consistently attacked multiculturalism as well. It really is concerning that Senator Brandis failed to condemn Tim Nicholls and the LNP for their decision to preference One Nation in 49 seats.

The arrangements between the LNP and One Nation have consequences. One Nation had four senators elected, but there are now three, as Senator Anning left earlier. We have seen in this chamber One Nation vote with their coalition partners 85 per cent of the time. They voted for antiworker industrial relations laws. They voted for cuts that have impacted on pensioners and those who can least afford it. The concern is that this is what is coming to Queensland, because the decision from the LNP to preference One Nation in 49 seats is going to mean that there are more One Nation MPs elected in Queensland. That is going to have consequences for Queensland if they form a government with Tim Nicholls after Saturday week. We have to imagine the damage that will do to Queensland.

What we have seen at the federal level over the last 12 months will apply to Queensland—their antiworker agenda. We know what they did when they were elected in 2012. We know the cuts they made, the job losses, the cuts to health, the cuts to education and the antiworker agenda. We know the importance of ethnic communities in Queensland as well. This decision they are dismissive of will have real consequences in Queensland. It is not the first time the LNP have done it. Over many years they have done deals with One Nation and they have suffered a price. That's why they're denying it. That's why they're saying there is no deal—because they know how damaging electorally it is.

What are Senator Brandis and Tim Nicholls going to say to the Vietnamese community in Mount Ommaney? What are they going to say to the Taiwanese community in Mansfield? What are they going to say to the Vietnamese community and the Taiwanese community in Mansfield about their deal with One Nation? What are they going to do with the Chinese community in Toohey as well? This is what the decision of One Nation has done. Let alone the growing Indian community throughout Brisbane, particularly in Chatsworth—