Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I've said before in this place that words matter, and the lesson of history is that words matter. Feelings and attitudes in our country are affected not only by events but also by the words that leaders give them and that our politicians use. All of us in this place have a platform, and we must use our platforms to bring our community together and not to inflame tensions. We should all be deeply concerned by the rise of antisemitism in the Australian community. We should denounce it and reject it utterly, just as we should all forms of racism and prejudice.

I would again urge, as I have many times since the conflict began but also across many years, all in this place to articulate and defend the values and principles that underpin who we are and what we believe in—inclusion, acceptance, respect and equality. We must always choose unity, not division; respect, not prejudice; and hope, not fear, and in doing so make Australia more united at home and stronger in the world. (Time expired)