Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Wong) to a question without notice I asked today relating to migration.

Stoking division and racism from Mr Peter Dutton is nothing new. That is his brand. It was his brand last month, when he said Muslim candidates in Western Sydney would be a 'disaster'. It was his brand in 2018, when he whipped up racism against African migrants. It was his brand in 2016, when as Minister for Immigration and Border Protection he attacked Lebanese Australians, suggesting their migration to this country was a 'mistake'. And it was his brand in 2008, when he shamefully boycotted the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. What we saw last week, when Peter Dutton called for an entry ban on Palestinians fleeing a genocide in Gaza, was just more of the same bigotry. Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, Mr Dutton, but the millions of black and brown people, including First Nations people and those from Asia or Africa or the Middle East, are not going anywhere, no matter how much you wish for it to be otherwise.

But overt racism from the Liberals is not the only danger in this country. The unspoken racism we see from Labor is just as potent. While Mr Dutton is shouting for Palestinians to be prevented entry, Labor is doing just that. Home Affairs data shows that more than 71 per cent of Palestinian visa applications since the genocide began have been rejected—71 per cent. And it's not just with visas where Labor fails on racism. A report released last month by the Australian Human Rights Commission pointed out that the government is reluctant to even use the word 'racism'. Right-wing media and MPs huff and puff and show hurt and indignance at being called out on their racism. Where is this concern about the actual racism itself? Where is this concern about the damage and harm it inflicts on targets? Well, there is none. There is no concern for the targets. Why is there this aversion to calling out racism for what it is? How will we ever tackle racism if we can't even use the word 'racism'?

Question agreed to.