Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week, I met with Sebastien Lai, the son of jailed media owner Jimmy Lai. At 76, Jimmy faces life in prison in Hong Kong for speaking truth to power and campaigning for democracy in Hong Kong. Jimmy is a Hong Kong success story. From child labourer to one of Asia's most successful businessmen, he understood the value of civil liberties, economic freedom, and the rule of law, which allows opportunity to flourish. He's now Hong Kong's highest profile political prisoner.

When Hong Kong was handed back to China, Jimmy saw the threat to democracy and saw it coming a mile off. He set up the newspaper Apple Daily to campaign for democracy and ensure the people of Hong Kong got the independent news they deserved. Apple Daily became the most popular Chinese-language newspaper in Hong Kong. Mr Lai had been targeted for his journalism for years. In 2015, his home and office were firebombed. In 2021, the authorities forced the closure of Apple Dailya dark day for Hong Kong's democracy. Now the authorities are weaponising the law and China's draconian national security law to put him in prison for the rest of his life.

Sebastien is here today in the Senate chamber with Jimmy's legal team, and they're asking for our help. They're asking for our help in calling for his father's release. Australia should do the right thing and join the US and the United Kingdom in calling for Jimmy Lai's release. We cannot allow demonstrated Australian values of democracy and free speech to be sacrificed in our relationship with China. Jimmy Lai stood up for democracy, and it's time we all stood up for Jimmy Lai.