Tuesday, 31 March 2026

 Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (12:08): (1286) My question is to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Minister, last week I visited Kilmore for an urgent community meeting, with other members of Parliament across the aisle, following the aftermath of a firebombing attack on a church to be converted into a mosque. This is on top of another arson attack on an Iraqi-run ice cream shop further up the road in Kilmore. These attacks are a part of a broader pattern of rising escalation in anti-Muslim hate and racism across Victoria. In 2021 your government formed the Anti-Racism Taskforce to provide strategic advice and recommendations to your government on preventing and combating racism-driven behaviours and acts of violence. Given the rise of white supremacy and far-right extremism and racism, Minister, can you confirm how many times the Anti-Racism Taskforce has met in the last 12 months to combat targeted racism against the Muslim community?

Jaclyn Symes: On a point of order, President, whilst I certainly invite any questions from non-government members during question time, I do take issue with misleading the house and providing information that is contrary to advice from Victoria Police. This is a particularly important matter, and I am just concerned that the framing of the question and alleging information that would be subject to confirmation by Victoria Police investigation is damaging to a sensitive issue.

Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO: This investigation is still underway – unless the Treasurer knows more information that she would like to share with MPs. But that is what the community said: this was a firebombing and arson, and that is what I am framing my question on.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: The minister will answer the question as she sees fit.

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (12:10): I do thank the member for the question. I find it a little disappointing the way that the question has been framed, for a number of reasons, which I will go into. Firstly, I think it is important to acknowledge that there are a number of members of Parliament who attended a public meeting at the Kilmore mosque late last week, including the Treasurer. It is actually in her seat, and she is very familiar with that community and has had ongoing conversations with them. I have certainly spoken with the leaders of that particular – I will not call it a mosque yet, because it is actually a historical church, which the Muslim community in the Kilmore area are seeking to redevelop. I have had a conversation with the leadership of the mosque. Of course these matters are concerning, but as the Treasurer has outlined, they are still subject to police investigation, so I am not going to cut across that important investigation. But what I will say is that right across our state, our multicultural communities – not just the Muslim community but our multicultural and multifaith communities – are feeling very unsettled at the moment because of the rise in racism, anti-Muslim hate and, I will add, antisemitism right across the state. We have had many, many examples of places of worship that have been outrageously targeted, whether that is through vandalism or through racist graffiti and the like. These are matters that our government takes incredibly seriously, and it is why we have taken a number of steps to combat racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia. You are sitting right behind the member who co-chairs the anti-racism strategy, Ms Gray-Barberio, which meets regularly. I want to thank the members of the anti-racism strategy for calling out this behaviour where they see it but also driving –

Anasina Gray-Barberio: On a point of order, President, my question was: how many times has the Anti-Racism Taskforce met over the last 12 months? A figure will suffice.

The PRESIDENT: The minister is being relevant to the question.

Ingrid STITT: I am being very relevant to the question given the preamble to the question was very broad and went to a number of issues and made a number of assertions, which I am correcting. The Anti-Racism Taskforce has met regularly, at minimum three times a year since I have been the minister, and I know that the co-chairs of that committee take their work very seriously. That group has provided –

Anasina Gray-Barberio interjected.

Ingrid STITT: Do you want to listen to the answer?

Members interjecting.

Sonja Terpstra: On a point of order, President, there are constant interjections coming from that end of the chamber. I would like to hear the minister’s answer. A question has been asked, and I ask that the minister be allowed to complete her answer in silence.

The PRESIDENT: I uphold the point of order.

Renee Heath: Further to the point of order, President, I think there has been much more noise coming from those opposite, so I just want to call them to order if that is okay.

The PRESIDENT: I think it would be terrific if no-one interjected at all through Parliament. Right through this week’s sitting, no-one is going to interject. I am on board with everyone. I am with you all. This is great. Thank you so much.

Ingrid STITT: I do believe I have actually directly answered the member’s question. I would also say this: if she is interested in the work of the Anti-Racism Taskforce, she ought to seek a meeting with me, and I would be very happy to go through in detail the important work that that group is driving and the continued effort of our government to stamp out this kind of behaviour wherever we see it.

 Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (12:14): Thank you, Minister. I will accept that invitation. The Muslim community feel under siege and that your government is not taking full responsibility to safeguard social cohesion and get rid of the breeding ground of hate being exploited by certain individuals and hate groups. Minister, can you point to a single concrete outcome that the government’s Anti-Racism Taskforce has recommended that your government has actually delivered to date?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (12:15): Ms Gray-Barberio, the tone of your question tells us everything we need to know about where this is really coming from. The reality is that –

Anasina Gray-Barberio interjected.

Sonja Terpstra: On a point of order, President, I think Ms Gray-Barberio is in direct defiance of your earlier ruling in regard to interjections. The minister has barely started her answer and there is a constant stream of interjections again from that end of the chamber. The minister should be allowed to continue in silence.

The PRESIDENT: The minister to continue, in silence.

Ingrid STITT: Thank you, President. It is kind of ironic, because I actually spent most of my weekend with members of the Muslim community across the community as they celebrated Eid.

Anasina Gray-Barberio interjected.

Ingrid STITT: Yes, good for me and good for you. The reality is that our government has taken some really important steps to call out Islamophobia wherever we see it and has taken measures to combat anti-Muslim hate in the community. We were the first jurisdiction in the country to recognise the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. We have provided direct support to our peak bodies across the Muslim community for community-based projects about calling out this kind of behaviour, and there is much, much more that –

Anasina Gray-Barberio: On a point of order, President, the question was on one single, concrete outcome that the government’s Anti-Racism Taskforce, under the minister’s direction, has recommended to government that the government has actually delivered.

The PRESIDENT: A point of order is not an opportunity just to re-read the question. The minister has 3 seconds if she wants them.

Ingrid STITT: I would suggest that the member goes and talks to the dozens and dozens of Muslim communities who have received LARI grants to combat Islamophobia in their communities.