Lucy Gichuhi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today—and, precisely, last night—is a very sad day for me. For me, I'm evidence that this is multiculturalism at work. But I keep wondering: how on earth do we have a public leader, with the status of senator, in Australia, in the First World not the Third World, use those kinds of words in a public forum? What do we think is happening in kindy, in primary schools and at work today? And yet we are the house that makes the law.

I have been in this country for nearly 20 years—20 years in February. I've gone through a lot of questions like, 'Where do you come from originally?' and that's okay. I take it. But it is in this Senate that my appearance provoked 'Where do you come from?' We all went through the citizenship issues, culminating with 15 or however many of us in the elections that we finished last weekend, so at what point are we going to say: 'You are Australian. You are Australian, full stop, period, finished.' I don't have to be born here; all I have to do is hold that citizenship certificate. Mine has been questioned so many times. I happen to be Briton. I happen to be Kenyan. I happen to be Australian. That's my history and, because Australia is Australia, because of the multicultural system it is, I find myself in the Senate.

Nobody put me here in the Senate except the High Court. Why? Because Australian systems work and they support multiculturalism. What I'm asking the Senate, whether I'm here for a day, two days or longer, is to deal with this hard right, hard left. What do you mean by hard right, hard left? I heard those words in this place. I grew up in a civilised society. Call it that or Third World, but it was civil enough to prepare me enough to serve Australia in this Senate.

I appeal to all our leaders—by all our leaders I mean Liberal, Labor, and everything. In that bipartisan state of affairs, can we deal with our own prejudices? I don't have to be asked where I came from. I know we are first generation or third generation. And guess what. We still have issues to deal with First Australian generations. Something has to rise up and do this and deal with it. We are the leaders. Senator Anning is a leader. What happened to diversity training? What am I going to say to my daughter, trying to apply for a job, coming to me to saying, 'Mum, I don't think I can get this.' I'm tired of that. It's not going to work for Australia 2018. Take it or leave it. It doesn't matter who gets into power next; somebody has to deal with it. I'm Liberal Party by choice. I'm here and I have to tiptoe about being a woman, about being black, because the hard right doesn't like it. Hey; this is Australia. This is the First World. It's not the Third World. Can we do leadership for the First World? Thank you.