Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Harvard economist Ed Glaeser points out that inciting racial hatred will always be a tempting strategy for political entrepreneurs, but only when a minority group reaches a certain size. Italian-Australians: too big—they might fight back; Luxembourg-Australians—hard to get the base fired up; but Middle-Eastern Australians—just right.

I was asked this morning by a journalist who I greatly respect, ‘Why are you bringing this up today?’ It is a good question so, in closing, let me try to answer why I do not think we should merely let the issue drop.

When Pauline Hanson brought her extremist ideology onto the floor of this parliament in the late 1990s, some people said ‘Just ignore it and it’ll go away.’ They meant well but, as the subsequent rise of One Nation showed, they were grievously mistaken. Sometimes you just have to draw a line in the sand. Here is mine.

If there is someone attacking a religion, that matters to me—even if it is not my religion.

If there is someone suggesting that asylum seekers are a threat to our way of life, that matters to me—even if I am not an asylum seeker.

And if there is a father who wants to attend the funeral of his child, that matters to me—even if it is not my child.

I urge the House to oppose the motion.

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