Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I was horrified, but not surprised, when I saw the terms of the MPI submitted by Senator Hanson. I was horrified, but less surprised, when I received a report about the contents of Senator Hanson's speech. How any person could watch the video of Mr Floyd's death, or indeed watch the video of Mr Dungay's death in Long Bay prison, where they both said, over many, many minutes, 'I can't breathe,' and reach the conclusion that it was an acceptable use of force is absolutely beyond me.

I am, frankly, surprised by the approach that the government has taken to the MPI that's in front of us today. This was an opportunity to show that while a small number of senators want to use the alt right talking points, the majority of the parliament could recognise, listen, learn and show empathy, love and concern for our fellow citizens. But, instead, what's happened is a decision to pit Australians against Australians. I asked my staff to check our email inbox. There was not one complaint and not any controversy about the rallies on the weekend. Why would you talk about funerals and cafes in the way that Senator Seselja and Senator Chandler just did?

I have a friend whose wife died over the course of the COVID-19 period. Why would you pit his experience of having a very difficult funeral, unable to be attended by family and friends, against the experience of Aboriginal Australians and their families in custody? We have had 437 funerals that we didn't need to have and 437 grief-stricken families who could have been with their loved ones today but who will never see them again. Why are we allowing in this place that kind of divisive rhetoric, that attempt to pit Australians against Australians? I will not condemn the people who attended the rallies on the weekend.

There's been a lot of focus on the rallies in our big capital cities. I want to spend a little time focusing on the rallies that happened in country towns in New South Wales—5,000 people in Newcastle, 3,000 people in Byron Bay, 1,500 people in Wagga Wagga, 1,000 people in Lismore, 400 people in Port Macquarie and hundreds and hundreds of people in Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Grafton and Broken Hill. These are places where there are large Aboriginal communities, places where enormous effort has gone in from those communities and, indeed, in many cases, from local police on improving the relationships between Aboriginal communities and the police force. Do you know what? For Aboriginal communities in those towns that have never really been big on rallies and never really been big on letting Aboriginal people speak up, it takes a lot of courage and a lot of determination. I will not, like people on the other side of this chamber, condemn those Australians who have stood up.

There was an opportunity for leadership today. There's been an opportunity for leadership over the course of the last week. I actually thought the Prime Minister got it right the first time when he said that we should not seek to prohibit rallies. He said that would jar with most Australians. Well, I think that's right. When the New South Wales government sought to ban the rally that happened in Sydney it fell over in the courts because it wasn't sustainable. It wasn't a sustainable proposition. I think that the place that we've got to here—where we've shifted too easily, because the politics of division suit some people, to indulging MPIs and resolutions like this—is a shame and a blight on this parliament.

There are many places where great work is being done. In Bourke, the Maranguka project is working with Aboriginal communities and working with the police force. There have been fantastic outcomes in that community. In Redfern-Waterloo, where I live, there's been very important work. Yes, what happened the other day was a setback, but there's been very important work by community leaders. What those communities need, what Australia needs, is leadership from this parliament. Implement the recommendations of the royal commission. Take all the steps that are required to be taken to resolve this problem. (Time expired)