Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. I refer to the Prime Minister's statement of 20 March 2017 affirming his government's commitment to multiculturalism, saying:

We are a richly diverse nation, and have flourished with waves of migration. This cultural diversity is one of our greatest assets.

The newest Liberal senator, Senator Molan, has refused to apologise for propagating racist, bigoted posts from white supremacist organisation Britain First. When will the Prime Minister break his silence, show some leadership and call on Senator Molan to apologise for undermining one of Australia's greatest assets?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, I've got to again correct Senator Cameron. Our distinguished addition to the Senate Liberal team, Senator Molan, is not the newest Liberal senator. The newest Liberal senator is actually Senator Lucy Gichuhi, who is of course a great demonstration of the multicultural richness of the great Australian nation. And, dare I say, Senator Wong and I are examples, in our own way, of the great multicultural diversity that makes up Australia. Of course I endorse the comments of the Prime Minister wholeheartedly. I know that Senator Molan—a great Australian who's provided outstanding public service to Australia in his capacity as a general in the defence forces—of course supports those remarks by the Prime Minister as well. Senator Molan handled the attack by Senator Cameron very eloquently yesterday. I think that he is strong enough to speak for himself, and I think he did so very well yesterday.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, a supplementary question.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When confronted on radio this morning about his propagating of fake, bigoted videos, Senator Molan refused to resile from his actions. Yet the Prime Minister has said nothing. When will this Prime Minister come out of hiding and show some leadership?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't really have anything to add to my previous answer. What I would say is that our commitment to multicultural Australia is there for all to see; the Prime Minister's commitment is there for all to see. Senator Molan explained himself extremely well yesterday. This has just proved that Labor doesn't have anything to say about the economy and jobs. This is a Labor Party that is casting around for distractions because they haven't got anything to say about how we can ensure—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, on a point of order.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I place on the record—

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Bring back George Brandis!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, no. Let's not do that. We actually think confronting bigotry matters.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, I—

Senator Cormann interjecting—

Senator Cormann, do you want to say something on the point of order?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order. That is a reflection on a senator in this place, and I ask Senator Wong to withdraw.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Absolutely not! Have you seen the material?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Wong, across the table there have been a number of comments about points of order not actually being matters of points of order but political debate. I think, Senator Wong, on that occasion that point you raised was not a point of order. I don't consider what was just said to be a reflection on a senator with the words used, if I'm correct on that, because it did not specify a person, or was not directed at a person. This is a matter for obvious debate. It is not a matter for points of order. Senator Cormann, did you want to continue your answer?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject absolutely any suggestion that Senator Molan is what Senator Cameron alleged. Senator Molan, as I have indicated, is a great Australian. He explained himself appropriately yesterday. There is nothing really further to add.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, a final supplementary question.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In October last year, Mr Duncan Lewis, the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, warned that stereotyping the Muslim community is not helpful to national security. Why is the Prime Minister ignoring the advice of Mr Lewis and refusing to call on Senator Molan to apologise for his actions, which are unhelpful to national security?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject the premise of the question. The Prime Minister always very carefully considers the advice of all of the intelligence and security agencies, and I know for a fact that he's very mindful of that particular advice that Senator Cameron referenced. I completely and utterly reject the premise of the question.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. Minister, the coalition's new member for New South Wales, Senator Molan, has previously called for a ban on Islamic immigration and the suspension of habeas corpus, the longstanding right to trial before detention. Now he defends sharing white supremacist material on social media by saying that he's not a racist, because he's lived overseas and, in his own words, 'he ran the war in Iraq'. That, of course, includes responsibility for the assault on Fallujah, the assault that resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe with civilians denied food, water, and aid. Minister, why have you adopted a lower standard than our allies, who universally condemned the President of the United States of America for sharing similar material?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I didn't actually follow Senator Di Natale's question, but what I can say is that in relation to the prosecution of the coalition presence in the Middle East, over many years now, the Greens have hardly covered themselves in glory in terms of their appreciation of the challenges faced by the men and women of the ADF, just for starters, let alone those other participants. So, I hardly think that you are in a position to call into question the sorts of issues that you have raised, Senator Di Natale, because you don't come here with any credibility whatsoever.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hinch, were you raising a point of order?

Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I could not hear the defence minister's answer.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On that basis, I again remind my colleagues that we've had a number of requests from that end of the chamber for there to be silence so the answers may be heard. Senator Di Natale, a supplementary question?

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, at the time of the assault on Fallujah under the command of now-Senator Molan, an UN special rapporteur said that coalition forces faced hunger and deprivation of water as a weapon of war against a civilian population—a flagrant violation of international law. Minister, given Senator Molan's extreme views, do you have a concern that these views influenced the decisions he made while executing the military campaign in Fallujah?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order in the chamber before I call Senator Payne.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In my 20 years in this chamber, I have heard some extraordinarily unedifying things—many of them from the Australian Greens. But that reflection on the service of a senior Australian Army officer takes your lows to depths that I did not think you could plumb. You consistently disappoint the Australian people and you do it with the most extraordinary lack of self-awareness or any idea of what it takes to lead for your nation in a uniform.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister's concluded her answer. Senator O'Sullivan, on a point of order?

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President—she's just repeated it—one of the Greens yelled out accusing the senator of being a white supremacist.

An honourable senator: It was Sarah Hanson-Young!

It was Sarah Hanson-Young. She's done it twice. It's a despicable thing to say about a fellow senator. She should withdraw it.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did not hear from this end of the chamber. If a comment of that nature was made reflecting on an individual senator, it should be withdrawn. Senator Hanson-Young.

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

Mr President, I said that the senator was supporting white supremacists. That is what he did when he shared that Facebook post—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

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

That is what he's being asked to apologise for. That is what he should be ashamed of.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat, Senator Hanson-Young. You were given the opportunity to clarify, and you did. The senator has denied making the statement. Senator Bernardi.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I concur with what Senator O'Sullivan said. Senator Hanson-Young has completely misrepresented what she said. What she said was entirely disgraceful. She accused another senator of being a white supremacist.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bernardi, not having heard the comment and the senator having denied it, I am required to take senators' statements about their own comments at face value. There are other forums where these matters can be debated. Senator Hinch.

Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order, Mr President: if Senator Hanson-Young is making some sort of apology, I think Senator Steele-John, who repeated the exact same expression to another senator, should do the same.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not in a position to order a withdrawal of comments I did not hear. I have asked senators if they made unparliamentary comments to utilise the chamber to withdraw them. On the basis that the senator has denied making a comment, senators are free to stand and withdraw a comment. There are other places for this to be pursued in the chamber. I will call on Senator Di Natale for his final supplementary question.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, the 2003 invasion of Iraq is seen almost universally as a humanitarian, legal, political and strategic disaster. Now that we've learned that the Australian chief of operations for coalition forces during the Iraq war holds such repugnant and extreme views, isn't it finally time to follow the UK's lead and have a long-overdue inquiry into the Iraq war?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to note for the record that Senator Molan, not making his first speech, in the chamber last night made some remarks on the record in relation to the issue of contention that Senator Di Natale has made. In relation to Senator Di Natale's further question, that has been discussed at length in this chamber and in the other chamber, for that matter, and the resolution of both has on previous occasions been no.

The one thing I want to emphasise, though, is that we in the government will not apologise for our assiduous prosecution against violent extremists and terrorists in the Middle East or wherever they arise. We have members of the ADF—men and women of the ADF—currently engaged in the Middle East, prosecuting the case against violent extremism and terrorist organisations who seek to use men, women and children as their defensive tool, and some people in this chamber excuse that sort of behaviour.