Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Labor do not accept the government's position that treats general business notice of motion Nos 604 and 612 on an equivalent basis. We don't agree with the government's decision to deny formality on notice of motion No. 604—a motion Labor supports. However, we do oppose general business notice of motion No. 612 to be moved by Senator Pauline Hanson. We agree with the government's decision to deny formality because we think it is not appropriate to spend this Senate's time inciting division.

Colleagues, yesterday we heard a powerful contribution from our esteemed colleague Senator Dodson, and we have much to learn from him. Asserting black lives matter isn't saying that other lives do not matter. It is responding to a systemic structural problem where black lives are not given equal value. Those who want to reinforce that status quo, including white supremacists, have instead adopted the phrase that is used in Senator Hanson's motion.

We have seen also from this Prime Minister the kinds of carefully timed interventions and coded language that have been used in the United States that are designed to create tension but maintain plausible deniability. The dismissal of Indigenous Australians and those moved to act in their support as 'seeking to take advantage of these opportunities to push their political causes' is an echo of arguments used against demonstrators in the United States and also the language used to dismiss concerns, prevent progress and entrench discrimination for decades. Labor says this: standing against racism and discrimination is principled and it is just, and it should not be delegitimised in this way. I know the Prime Minister and President Trump have made much of what friends they are and how much they have in common, but there are some things we do not wish to import. Leaders must bring the community together, and this includes listening to our First Nations's voices in this country, which we have too often ignored.