Thursday, 23 March 2023

 Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (14:38): (109) My question is for the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Late last year the Premier announced that $3 million would be spent over the next few years to create and run an awareness campaign against Islamophobia in Victoria. This news was greatly welcomed by my local community in the Laverton electorate, where among many other communities we have a strong and very vibrant Muslim community, with schools like Al-Taqwa and Sirius colleges as well as centres like the Sunshine Mosque and the Australian Light Foundation in the Sunshine area.

The commitment to this campaign resulted from the Legislative Assembly’s Legal and Social Issues Committee and its inquiry into anti-vilification protections, which looked at how we could better protect Victorians from discrimination – because despite what some people in this place would like to think and say here, the greatest issue facing religious minorities in Australia is not the equal opportunity act or bans on conversion therapy, it is real discrimination and vilification on the streets and out in the local community. That is why I ask the minister this: how will this $3 million campaign help Muslim communities like mine?