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

I'm a staunchly proud migrant Muslim woman of colour. I'm not afraid of telling the truth. I'm not afraid of calling out racism, sexism or bigotry, even though I know that there will be a price to pay. But some days, some weeks, the price is just too much. This week this place has broken me. This place has broken me with its racism. This place has broken me with its attacks on Muslims, on Palestinian refugees, on disabled people and on women. Those who are not piling on hate and racism are standing on the sidelines, gaslighting or, worse, trying to shut us up. That's what you want. You want us to be silenced because you don't like us holding a mirror to you. You don't like the truth you see in the mirror because you can't handle that truth.

The roots of the racism in this country and the problems in this country sit right here in this parliament. We see Peter Dutton and his outrageous comments. We see dog whistling on migrants and refugees. I had to sit here and listen to Senator Lambie attack and vilify Muslims, and she couldn't even pronounce my name. We see Senator Penny Wong falsely accusing us of politicising an issue when we actually call out racism and when we call out a genocide in Gaza. I am broken. People tell me to develop a thick skin, but I will not do that. You might break me today, but I will get up. I will dust myself, and I will be here tomorrow to say exactly the truth that I have been saying for a long time.