Wednesday, 20 March 2019

 Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (09:38): I desire to move, by leave:

That this house condemns Senator Fraser Anning for his hateful, dangerous and divisive response to the Christchurch mosques terror attack.

The SPEAKER: Is leave granted?

 Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (09:39): Speaker, leave is granted. I would seek leave of the house, given the Premier’s motion, that general business, notice of motion 57 on the notice paper in my name be debated concurrently with the Premier’s motion.

The SPEAKER: Is leave granted for the Premier’s motion and that motion to be debated concurrently? The house has granted leave for both the Premier’s motion and the Leader of the Opposition’s motion to be moved and debated concurrently. I will call the Premier to move his motion and the Leader of the Opposition to move his motion. I will then call the Premier to speak on both motions currently, followed by the Leader of the Opposition and other members.

 Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (09:39): By leave, I move:

That this house condemns Senator Fraser Anning for his hateful, dangerous and divisive response to the Christchurch mosques terror attack.

 Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (09:39): I move:

That this house:

(1)   condemns Senator Fraser Anning for his contemptible, hate-filled response to the Christchurch terrorist attack and his attempt to divide our community on the basis of religion;

(2)   calls on Senator Anning to resign; and

(3)   reaffirms Victoria as an inclusive and multicultural society.

 Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (09:40): At the outset let me make it clear that I think it is only appropriate that both the motion I have just moved and the motion put on the notice paper last evening by the Leader of the Opposition be debated concurrently. There is no difference.

Mr Wynne interjected.

Mr ANDREWS: Yes, not just the same sentiments, as the Minister for Multicultural Affairs makes clear, but also a passionate commitment on behalf of all mainstream political voices in this Parliament and in this state—all people of goodwill in fact across political and other divides. We are not divided on this issue. We are as one when it comes to making a very clear point that there is no place for toxic bigotry in our civilised society—no place for that at all. Nor is it acceptable to dress up hate speech as free speech. The freedoms that we enjoy today, the freedoms that define our state and our nation as a special place in the world—a world where so many people do not enjoy those freedoms—were hard-won by standing up against hatred and the violence that comes from it. Those freedoms, the freedom to lead a peaceful, respectful life of opportunity, of family and of friends, where everybody is equal and everybody has redress and recourse—the values that define our modern Victoria and Australia—were hard fought. They ought to be enjoyed regardless of our differences, and in fact because of our differences and our diversity. Our diversity enhances the enjoyment of those freedoms, the celebration of those values, and it requires the defence of those values as well.

The comments, the conduct, the views of appointed Senator Fraser Anning should be denounced, they should be condemned and they should be called out. Now I have been somewhat torn in relation to how the house might deal with this important matter, because that denunciation, that condemnation, that calling out of his appalling, abominable, frankly evil views—

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: Vile views—is exactly the attention that he craves. But at the same time we cannot ignore those sentiments. We do not concurrently debate these motions today, and hopefully pass them unanimously, to give him the platform that he so craves. We do it because it is important to make a clear statement to every single Victorian that hatred and bigotry—that toxic ideology of pitting one Victorian against another—has no place in our great state, a place where equality is not negotiable, a place where we value the civil society, that multicultural and multifaith civil society that we have built over decades. I would say in closing that that society, with its richest asset being our diversity, is in no small way the product of that bipartisanship that we single out, if you like, in the conduct of the motions today. I commend the motions to all honourable members. I say again on behalf of the government, and I think all fair-minded Victorians, that there is no place for Fraser Anning’s toxic ideology, his hate speech and the violence that it leads to in our great state.

 Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (09:44): I commend the Premier for his motion and I thank the Premier for his cooperation in agreeing that my motion should be debated concurrently. I think that sends a very powerful message that this house and this state are as one when it comes to supporting tolerance, diversity and multiculturalism. We will not be divided by those who seek to divide us, whether they use weapons or words—and words can be weapons. Senator Anning has called for migration to this country to be determined on the basis of someone’s religion. That is appalling. That is shameful—absolutely shameful.

In the wake of the horrendous terrorist attack in Christchurch he blamed the victims—appalling conduct unbefitting of a senator in the federal Parliament and unbefitting of human decency. This is a senator who has equated the religion of Islam with fascism. These are appalling sentiments, and I think that Senator Anning probably has a lot more in common with fascism than any mainstream religion does. His comments are disgraceful, and I agree with the Premier that there is almost a risk in this house passing a motion to condemn him because it does serve to give him some publicity—some notoriety. But there comes a time when people of goodwill must stand up, must be heard and must be counted. This is such a time.

I thank the Premier for his motion, and I hope that the house will be supporting both motions in sending a very clear message that this house is united in its condemnation of Senator Anning and his comments and in its support for tolerance, diversity and the harmonious multicultural state that is Victoria.

 Mr HIBBINS (Prahran) (09:46): I rise to support the motions put forward by the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition in condemning those hateful words by that senator. Words can and do incite violence. Words can and do incite terror. Words can and do incite murder. It is time to stand up and put an end to hate speech, to Islamophobia and to bigotry in all forms. We are in a time when hate speech is on the rise across the world, not just in the dark recesses of society but also in our Parliaments, from political leaders, on our TV sets and in the media. The scene has been set and the foundation laid by the politics of fear and division. So let this motion not just condemn those hateful words but be the start of a political discourse that reflects the society that we all want to live in. We support the motion.

Motions agreed to.

The SPEAKER: I am very proud to be a member of this house.

Members applauded.