Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

We've had another outbreak in South Australia of diversity and inclusion lip service. This time it's with the cancellation of a Russian youth dance troupe called the Kalinka Russian Ensemble—a group of young performers, who are all Australians, by the way, aged between six and 20 years old, who've been banned from performing at the South Australian Multicultural Festival on 12 November. What a brilliant piece of diplomatic brinkmanship from South Australia's Minister for Tourism and Multicultural Affairs—if you can believe that—Zoe Bettison. Take that, Vladimir Putin! It's a clear message to the Kremlin from North Terrace, in little, old Adelaide. But it's not just the kids who've been banned; the minister also told the Russian Women's Association not to attend this very diverse and inclusive event.

How will the patriarchy ever recover from this? Talk about empowerment! The Left's usual nagging about empowering women and girls once again is shown to be nothing but rhetoric from the Left in our state—sorry, ladies. It serves as a fine illustration of the hypocrisy of those who so loudly tout diversity, inclusion and equity. What they really care about is maintaining the current thing—whatever that chooses to be. Why are women and children being penalised here? They didn't do anything wrong, but they've been excluded. I've written to this minister to try to explain to her in relatively simple terms why she should reconsider. I doubt it will elicit much of a response, but there we go. So much for multiculturalism and gender equity in South Australia.