Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

It's extremely disappointing that this debate has kicked off the way it has today. I don't think that anything that we've displayed to the Australian people in the last 15 minutes, since the starting of this parliament, is anything to be proud of. The politicking over this issue—which is serious, which is sensitive, which is fundamentally about the values of a respectful, democratic nation—should not be drawn into the gutter.

On the matter of the suspension to bring this bill on, I do not believe that this is the right way to go about it. I think the Attorney-General and the government of the day need to take this issue seriously and come forward with a proper process to deal with this. Nazi symbols being displayed in this country is wrong. That needs to be managed, but you don't do it by springing a debate in this place without a proper process.

The private members' bill that is being asked to be brought on today has not been through—it was only introduced yesterday. It needs to go through a proper process. And whether it is a committee of the Senate or, indeed, in consultation with the Attorney-General, I suggest that the leader of the opposition has an honest and direct conversation with the government about how we can move forward as a united parliament to stand for what is right, and to call out what is wrong.

Doing it today is not the appropriate way of going about it, and if you have any doubt in your mind about that, just go back and look at what the last 15 minutes in this place has displayed. It's a disgrace. You want the Australian people to believe you? Lift your game. We will not be supporting the suspension. We urge those in this place to work together to deal with this properly. Politicking over Nazi symbols is wrong.