Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In respect of the report of the Joint Migration Standing Committee entitled No-one teaches you to become an Australian, I move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

The Australian Greens did not support the establishment of this inquiry, because we believed that it would not prove to be a genuine attempt to improve the lives and outcomes of migrants in Australia. Unfortunately, history showed that we were entirely right to oppose the establishment of this inquiry, because, the way this inquiry was run under the chair, it became nothing more than a shameless attack on migrant communities in Australia. It was overtly designed to play one part of the Australian community against another, and was a fig leaf so that Peter Dutton, the Minister for Home Affairs, could have an excuse to deport migrant children from Australia. This inquiry was a stitch-up with a predetermined outcome so that the Liberals could continue their political victimisation of non-white people in this country. This agenda has been made clear through the report's reliance on proven racist Andrew Bolt as though he were some kind of an expert on anything, let alone migration. We also know that the Liberal members of this committee completely misrepresented crime statistics in their majority report by overstating the rate of offending by Sudanese Australians by 40 per cent.

What an absolute farce this report was. What an absolute farce this inquiry was. But what do facts actually matter when you're more interested in running a racist campaign! That's what this inquiry was all about—a racist campaign—and over the last few months this racist campaign, this campaign of hatred, has ramped up more and more. We've had the ludicrous spectacle of Minister Dutton suggesting, from the comfort of his weekly massage in the studios of 2GB Sydney, lovingly provided by Ray Hadley, that the good people of Melbourne were now too afraid to go out for dinner because of Sudanese gangs. Fortunately, the good people of Melbourne have the sense to ignore the paranoid rantings and ravings of the Minister for Home Affairs.

We now, of course, have the elevation of the new Liberal Party senator—or perhaps that should be the new Britain First senator—Senator Molan, which shows how far the Liberal Party has descended into the hands of white supremacists in this country. Let's look at the facts. Senator Molan shared a video of a confirmed white supremacist group, Britain First, that has incredibly strong links to violent white right-wing extremists in the UK. He then doubled down on his decision. He didn't apologise, but—you know what?—just over an hour ago he wiped his whole Facebook page without explanation. It's all gone ta-ta. 'Nothing to see here,' says Senator Molan. That's not good enough. You can't wash the blood off your hands by simply deleting your social media page. He needs to apologise for sharing that vile video created by Britain First.

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

Just like Trump had to.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As my colleague Senator Hanson-Young rightly reminds the Senate, even President Donald Trump apologised for sharing this group's lies, slander and violence. But not Senator Molan. It's beneath him to apologise, even when President Trump offered an apology. Just like all the other xenophobes in his party room—Minister Dutton, Mr Christensen and the rest of them—Prime Minister Turnbull is only too happy to endorse—

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, please resume your seat.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. We've listened to this rant go on for a long time, but the particular point of order is in relation to reflections on members of both this place and the other place. Using the term 'xenophobes' to refer to members of the Senate or members of the House of Representatives is disorderly. It should be withdrawn.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim?

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you after a response from me on the point of order?

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's borderline, and I would ask you to not repeat the offence. I would ask you to respectfully withdraw it.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Might I just make an observation on the point of order, Madam Deputy President?

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I obviously used the words that I did and I don't—

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just a moment, Senator McKim. I did ask you specifically not to repeat—

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I won't use those words. I was just saying that I obviously used the words that I did. But parliamentary privilege does exist to enable the truth to be spoken in this place, and I would submit the defence of truth, which backs up what I said. But I'm happy to continue and not repeat those words, if that would assist the chamber.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The request was to withdraw the comment you made and the term you used.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'Xenophobe'. Is that unparliamentary, Madam Deputy President?

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I indicated that it was borderline. In the spirit of good cooperation, I ask that it be withdrawn. You specifically listed a number of senators and MPs.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All right, I withdraw the words I used. But I will make the point that the multiple xenophobes in the coalition party room are only to happy to endorse Senator Molan. According to Prime Minister Turnbull this afternoon, Senator Molan doesn't have a racist bone in his body. If he doesn't have a racist bone in his body, why is he sharing racist content on his Facebook page? Why does he post the threads on his Facebook page in a way that agrees with obviously racist white supremacist comments that were made in the thread?

If you share the videos of white supremacists and then refuse to apologise, then guess what? You're a white supremacist. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it's going to be a duck, isn't it? If the Prime Minister wants to carry on with the nonsense that we've seen in this report—the misrepresentation of crime statistics of Sudanese-Australian people; the allegation that there is a gang called the Apex Gang in Melbourne, when Victoria Police have strongly rebutted that suggestion—and if he is happy to ingratiate himself with white supremacists, that makes him no better than Britain First and the people who made that video.

Question agreed to.