COMMITTEES
Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia—Manager of Australian Greens Business in the Senate) (17:41): I wish to contribute to this discussion. I'm appalled that, after the displays yesterday of members of far-right Neo-Nazi groups and sovereign citizens declaring that the cop killer Dezi Freeman was some type of a martyr and hero, we get into this chamber today and hear that rubbish from One Nation.
I'm sorry, but there are two dead policemen. Their families are suffering. The communities that they live in are shell shocked.
Rather than being the bigger people in this place, we have One Nation coming in here and legitimising it. It's disgusting and it's revolting. One Nation have created their entire political— Senator Roberts: I rise on a point of order on relevance.
We had very terrible murders of two policemen before the marches. It had nothing do to do with the marches. It's ridiculous— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Sterle ): Senator Roberts, you don't have a point of order.
Senator HANSON-YOUNG: I have not heard the Leader of One Nation or any members of One Nation in this place condemn the cold-blooded murder of those police officers and condemn the actions of that group. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Roberts? You have a point of order and not a debate, I hope.
Senator Roberts: It's on relevance. We have condemned the heinous murder of two policemen. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I'll take that as a comment.
Senator HANSON-YOUNG: Coming in here today to legitimise the glorification of this cop killer should be beneath any of us. Sadly, it's not. This is because One Nation have built their entire political foundation on fearmongering, division and not just pseudo-law but pseudo-maths, pseudo-science and now pseudo-economics.
The only reason that One Nation exist is that they continue to whip up fear and division in our communities. They're like a toxic algae that feeds on this fear and division. They're like a disease that loves preying on the weak.
The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Hanson-Young, just resume your seat. Senator Whitten, on a point of order? Senator Whitten: I don't like being referred to as a disease or toxic algae.
The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: There is no point of order, but I will remind senators that if we are reflecting on fellow senators, I will have to call you out. At this stage, Senator Hanson-Young, you have the call. Senator HANSON-YOUNG: There are members of our community who are worried about the cost of housing, the cost of living and how they're going to cover next month's bills.
Dealing with those issues in a responsible way, holding government to account where they need to be held to account and asking questions of bureaucrats that are legitimate and need to be asked is what this place is meant to do. But using vulnerable members of our community and migrants as a scapegoat for inequality is pathetic. It's cheap politics and it's weak.
That's what One Nation does, and that's what this motion is all about. I would have thought that, after this weekend's rally, the display and glorification of people who have killed police officers and the glorification of Neo-Nazis, there would be some reflection on what this is doing to our community and our society, but the only reflection we seem to getting from One Nation today is their rubbing their hands in glee and their wanting more of it.
They are feeding on this nastiness, on this division and on this fear. I mean, if they had it their way, we would have here in Australia the race riots that the US have had. They'd be cheering it on.
We are not America. Australia is built on multiculturalism. Our nation is diverse, but you can't take that for granted.
We can't take it for granted. It is something that you nurture and look after and protect. We don't always agree on everything—of course not.
That's why we're a democracy. We are able to debate things. We should be able to debate things without sinking to the level of dividing people by the colour of their skin or where they were born.
This brings me to the person in the other place, Mr Bob Katter, who I think today showed a total lack of judgement in doubling-down on his aggressive threat of violence to an Australian journalist for simply asking about his immigration policies and his background. I put it to you that, if this were any other member in this place, this wouldn't be just laughed off as, 'Bob Katter—that's him.' Mr Katter's behaviour on Friday, threatening violence to a journalist for simply asking a question, is unacceptable.
He should either apologise or resign. The idea of doubling-down on this means he's missed the point. I would have thought that, since the weekend's horror show, he may have reflected a little bit on his own contribution to whipping up this fear and division, but he clearly hasn't.
Tonight I say that Mr Katter should apologise to that journalist or step down. If in this country we start down the road where politicians can threaten violence at journalists for asking pesky questions they don't like or individuals shooting cops dead is not called out but, in fact, glorified, then we are heading down a very dangerous path. I don't for one moment suggest that any one party or any one person in this place has it right all the time.
I don't believe we do. But I do think that, with the incidents of the last week—whether it is the shooting of innocent police officers, the threatening of journalists or the glorification of Neo-Nazi politics on our streets—we have a moment right now where we have to think about what kind of country we want to be—and, I tell you what, it's not this. This is not the type of future we want for Australia.
I respectfully ask One Nation to stop using vulnerable people and migrants as whipping boys and girls and scapegoats.