STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator THORPE (Victoria—Independent VIC Whip) (13:54): Last Thursday, a 56-year-old man intentionally ran down two 12-year-old boys in Mildura's Langtree Mall with his Ford Ranger. This was a violent attack by a grown man on two children. They were seriously injured.

One was airlifted to the Melbourne children's hospital. But we haven't seen the condemnation this heinous crime demands. Instead, people online are calling the attacker a hero, encouraging more violence and offering to buy the man a beer.

Why? Because the victims are Aboriginal children—something every news outlet except National Indigenous Times failed to mention. Major outlets like 10 News are allowing this violence to be celebrated on their social media pages, benefiting from the clicks.

No-one should see violence against their children or community being celebrated or joked about. In this country, racism is real. It's rising, and it's leading to real violence.

We heard repeatedly during the racism inquiry that the racism we experience on our streets and online is turning towards real violence, and nothing is being done to stop it. This was a brutal, racist crime committed against two children. This government needs to act to protect our people from harm.

Labor must commit to implementing all the recommendations from the racism inquiry once they receive the report. My heart goes out to those two 12-year-old boys, their families and community.