Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens will not be supporting the Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024 (No. 2). The budget handed down last month includes a commitment for the government to undertake a study into antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and the experience of First Nations people in the universities sector. This was a recommendation of the Australian Universities Accord final report. This much broader study to be done by the Race Discrimination Commissioner will develop recommendations for the government to consider that can contribute to reducing racism and creating safer and more respectful and inclusive learning environments for all students and staff. We support this review by the Race Discrimination Commissioner, whose office is best placed to conduct such a review. They have the expertise and resources to conduct this review, and it is exactly the type of work that they should be doing.

Unlike what some in here think, racism, in all its forms, exists in this country, and it is a problem in this country. The Greens are the only party in this place with an antiracism portfolio, because we recognise the need to tackle systemic and institutional racism; to confront our bloody colonial history, which, to this day, targets First Nations people; and to counter the growing tide of far-right nationalism.

Racism exists at universities, as it exists everywhere else. Just last week, threatening Islamophobic graffiti, referencing the Christchurch mosque murderer, was discovered by a Muslim engineering student in the University of Melbourne toilets.

In May, it was reported by the Islamophobia Register that there was a 39-fold increase in reports of Islamophobia on Australian university campuses alone. The Universities Accord report itself spoke of instances of racism at higher education providers experienced by First Nations students and staff, both on campus and online. It recommended that an important element of the study would specifically focus on the experiences of First Nations staff and students, while another could extend to staff and students from other groups who have experienced racism in the sector.

During the COVID pandemic, we saw a shameful spike in attacks on students with Asian appearance. A study by the Migrant Worker Justice Initiative found that racism had impacted a staggering quarter of Australia's international students during the pandemic. A review by the Human Rights Commission into racism, one which tackles all different types of racism, is the kind of broad-ranging, expert-led review we need, not one whose motivation we know all too well, which has been brought into the Senate today.

I agree with Dr Max Kaiser from the Jewish Council of Australia, who has expressed deep concern about what he calls the weaponisation of antisemitism by the Liberal Party to target students who are standing up against the genocide of the Palestinian people. I also agree with his colleague Ms Sarah Schwartz, who recently told a Senate inquiry into right-wing extremism that the only way to effectively fight antisemitism is by committing to work in partnership with other groups facing bigotry and discrimination and to fight all forms of racism. I have zero trust in a party whose leader is Peter Dutton to push for any good-faith review into racism. I have zero trust in Senator Henderson—