Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Stoker, move:

That the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by the last sitting day in May 2020:

Nationhood, national identity and democracy, with particular reference to:

(a) the changing notions of nationhood, citizenship and modern notions of the nation state in the twenty first century;

(b) rights and obligations of citizenship, including naturalisation and revocation, and the responsibility of the state to its citizens in both national and international law;

(c) social cohesion and cultural identity in the nation state;

(d) the role that globalisation and economic interdependence and economic development plays in forming or disrupting traditional notions of national identity;

(e) contemporary notions of cultural identity, multiculturalism and regionalism;

(f) the extent to which nation states balance domestic imperatives and sovereignty and international obligations;

(g) comparison between Australian public debate and policy and international trends; and

(h) any other related matters.

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 given for one minute.

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

We know that the role of the Senate is to inquire on issues that are of international significance, national significance and local significance. We've read the terms of reference, and they are broad enough for us to be confident that this inquiry could be used for a constructive purpose. But, given the nature of the language in these terms of reference, and given some of the voices in this place who have clearly expressed negative sentiment towards immigrants and who clearly do not support multiculturalism, we are also concerned that this committee inquiry has the potential to be used for purposes that we don't support. We are prepared to accept that it is our role to inquire into issues like this, and we'll give the benefit of the doubt to Senators Carr and Stoker, who have moved this. But we will be watching very closely that this doesn't become a vehicle for people who have, quite frankly, racist and bigoted views.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation 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.

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

We know that the United Nations, in particular, has interfered for many decades now with our sovereignty and the governance of this country. We note particularly the UN's Kyoto protocol, the UN's Paris agreement, the UN's Rio declaration from 1992, and the UN's Lima agreement, which was both signed by Gough Whitlam in 1975 and ratified by Malcolm Fraser in 1976. We also note that property rights are fundamental to freedom—and I'm looking particularly at the Liberal-National parties—and I would hope that these matters would be considered by this committee, but we do support the inquiry.

Question agreed to.