Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Wong, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that 'Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes...freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance',

(ii) religious persecution knows no geographic or sectarian boundaries and it afflicts religious believers of virtually every faith, on every continent,

(iii) the strong statements made across the nation, led by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, that violence such as that witnessed in Christchurch is an affront on our common humanity, and

(iv) in the face of attacks designed to sow division, our responses must bring us together, recognising an attack on any religion is an attack on all religions and that we all share a responsibility to unite, condemn and defeat such an attack on our common values and way of life;

(b) calls on all Australians to stand against hate and to publicly, and always, condemn actions and comments designed to incite fear and distrust;

(c) endorses the statement of the Imam Hasan Centre following the attacks in Christchurch that 'It is times like this that we lose hope and doubt humanity. When people of faith come under attack in such a way it shows us how low humanity can fall. However it never ceases to amaze how far humanity can rise after such despicable events'; and

(d) censures Senator Anning for his inflammatory and divisive comments seeking to attribute blame to victims of a horrific crime and to vilify people on the basis of religion, which do not reflect the opinions of the Australian Senate or the Australian people.

Mr President, today the government and government senators join with the opposition and members of other parties to condemn in the strongest possible terms the comments made by Senator Anning in relation to last month's horrific terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand—an absolutely horrific terrorist attack. That is why I move the motion which asks the Senate to note, firstly:

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that 'Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes … freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance',

Also:

(ii) religious persecution knows no geographic or sectarian boundaries and it afflicts religious believers of virtually every faith, on every continent,

That the Senate notes:

(iii) the strong statements made across the nation, led by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, that violence such as that witnessed in Christchurch is an affront on our common humanity, and

(iv) in the face of attacks designed to sow division, our responses must bring us together, recognising an attack on any religion is an attack on all religions and that we all share a responsibility to unite, condemn and defeat such an attack on our common values and way of life;

That the Senate:

(b) calls on all Australians to stand against hate and to publicly, and always, condemn actions and comments designed to incite fear and distrust;

That the Senate:

(c) endorses the statement of the Imam Hasan Centre following the attacks in Christchurch that 'It is times like this that we lose hope and doubt humanity. When people of faith come under attack in such a way it shows us how low humanity can fall. However it never ceases to amaze how far humanity can rise after such despicable events';

Finally, that the Senate:

(d) censures Senator Anning for his inflammatory and divisive comments seeking to attribute blame to victims of a horrific crime and to vilify people on the basis of religion, which do not reflect the opinions of the Australian Senate or the Australian people.

I thank the opposition and other parties for their support for this motion. It is very important that the parliament is unified in its condemnation of these appalling comments that have been made. These comments were appalling, and, sadly, made even worse given Senator Anning's position in this parliament and the platform that he enjoys as a senator. Senator Anning's comments were ugly and divisive. They were dangerous and unacceptable from anyone, let alone a member of this place. The Senate is completely right to condemn them and censure the senator that made them. The victims of the Christchurch attack were attacked while peacefully going about the observance of their religion in and around their place of worship. Senator Anning's comments were, as it says in the motion, 'inflammatory and divisive'.

In Australia we do not accept and do not tolerate that sort of divisive, inflammatory commentary which seeks to incite hatred and which seeks to vilify people. It is why we are the most successful migrant nation in the world. The Australian people rightly expect that this parliament stands in solidarity with our New Zealand cousins following the monstrous attack in Christchurch. It is absolutely right to censure Senator Anning, and, ultimately, to condemn anyone else within our community who seeks to use a horrific tragedy like this one as an opportunity to vilify and divide people based on their religious beliefs. I commend this motion to the Senate.