Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate acknowledges:

(a) the deplorable rise of anti-white racism and attacks on Western civilisation; and

(b) that it is okay to be white.

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hope that the Senate does the reasonable thing today by supporting this motion. Anyone who pays attention to the news or spends any time on social media has to acknowledge that there has been a rise in anti-white racism and a rise in attacks on the very ideals of Western civilisation. I would also hope the Senate does the right thing and acknowledges that it is indeed okay to be white. Such a simple sentence should go without saying, but I suspect many members in this place would struggle to say it. People have a right to be proud of their cultural background, whether they are black, white or brindle. If we can't agree on this, I think it's safe to say anti-white racism is well and truly rife in our society.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

With the federal election looming, I'm starting to think that Senator Hanson and her former colleague Senator Anning are now locked in a race to see who can be the biggest, loudest racist bigot in their contest to see who can get to the bottom of the sewer first. That's what this obscene motion is all about. It could have been written on a piece of toilet paper, which reminds me of that old story about a toilet cleaner. People were nicknamed 'Harpic', because they were clean around the bend.

There are all sorts of things behind this latest stunt by Senator Hanson. She's using this chamber as a conduit for her headline grabbing stunts—just remember the burqa. Senator Hanson knows that this motion will not pass, so she even pre-empted the Senate during the last session when this didn't get up. Senator Hanson tweeted a very clever line—dreamed up by, I imagine, a giggling cohort in the backroom—about 'It's okay to be white' and then went public with it before most of the senators in this chamber had even heard about it. She tweeted it and went on Sky News that night and published it before it was even tabled here in the Senate. I would say that this sort of racism is not only wrong, it could be dangerous— (Time expired)

Fraser Anning (Queensland, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is not granted.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a very short statement.

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

Leave is not granted.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

It's not just okay to be white in Australia; it's actually a ticket to winning the lotto. Just look around this chamber and see how many faces that aren't white. Have a look at the privileged positions of Australian society, people who occupy the seats of the rich and powerful. How many of them are not white? Last time I checked it's the privileged white Anglo community who are the ones occupying the seats of influence.

The reality is the 'It's okay to be white' slogan has got a long history in the white supremacist movement, where both these clowns get most of their material from. You know what it's not okay to be in this country? It's not okay to be Aboriginal, because you're more likely to die younger or to be locked up. It's not okay to be an African person, because you're more likely to experience racism. It's not okay to be a Muslim, because you're more likely to be subject to—

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

Senator Di Natale, please resume your seat. Senator Hanson.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order: I object to being referred to in that regard by these people on other side and the reference about where we get our information from. So his comments were out of place.

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

Senator Hanson, there's no point of order.

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

The reality is that this does nothing other than foster more division and hatred in our community. It's got no place in the Australian parliament— (Time expired)

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a very short statement.

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

Leave is granted for 30 seconds.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government condemns all forms of racism.

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

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 1092 standing in the name of Senator Hanson be agreed to.