I rise to ask: what does it say about our democracy when we have two sets of standards for protecting citizens from hate? 

We had a violent start to the modern Australian nation.  We have made some, but very little progress on making good on that. Little progress politically, institutionally, economically and culturally. 

Let’s not forget: 

Report after report has shown that  

• we aren’t adequately “closing the gap”. 

• We don’t have an ATSIC,  

• a Voice to Parliament or a permanent way to have solid representation in this parliament from the hundreds of nations – first nations - that make up Australia. 

• We continue to stand by whilst the states and territories pass laws to allegedly address crime, but which have the practical effect of discriminating, targeting young First Peoples offenders, institutionalising them in harsh, cruel cells, and detention centres with little regard for their cultural, social and economic needs. 

We essentially ADD to their harm, rather than help to remove it.  

Last week we watched as people with hate in their hearts and harm in their hands hurled a bomb into a crowd of people peacefully demonstrating, as they have for years - on January 26,  

• as is their right 

• as is anyone’s right 

• in this precious but increasingly precarious democracy.  

Let me be clear – just as in Bondi where the target was Jewish people, in Perth the target was our First Peoples.  This is a hate crime on the basis of race. 

Sadly, it felt to me that the hate shown against First Peoples on this day, wasn’t as seriously considered as the hate shown to others.    

 and therefore that a strong response by our institutions, wasn’t as  warranted  

Let’s be clear – hate on anyone in our country is hate on all of us. 

And my message is - how our institutions - the media, intelligence agencies, people in this place - respond - matters.   

Responding appropriately when this hate crime happened in Perth, is not about protecting the weak and vulnerable.  

This is about acknowledging that everyone is equal before the law and within their communities.   

And it’s all of our responsibilities to ensure that this is so. 

When we don’t speak up for all of our children, for all of our brothers and sisters, we are letting down our entire family – our Australian family. 

With every thought, word and action (or lack of action) we are creating a permissive environment where this hate can continue and even thrive.  

And hate can’t be solved with more hate. 

We need to grow understanding, courage and make tangible progress. 

That starts with calling out hate, every time and wherever it occurs.  

It means applying the levers at our disposal – all of them – to match the wrongdoing.  

And it means making sure that our law makers and enforcers, our commentators and leaders, start to see that hate harms – no matter the colour of your skin, the god you worship or who you love.    

 
We are all entitled to the freedoms and securities of the person living next door to us, down the road, across the country.  

When we pass laws and  

lead the clean-up of institutional behaviours that harm rather than nurture those who need us to have their backs,  

• we start to replace the hate with care,  

• we replace blame with responsibility,  

• we replace them with us, all of us.  

I strongly urge the government to adequately resource its own Anti racism framework that it commissioned in 2024.   

It’s good.  And it may help. 

I am sorry that this has happened in our community.  

Thank you for the opportunity to talk about something so important.  

We can do better.  We must do better.  We get this done, working together.