Its fantastic to be here at an event that embodies the kind of community, the kind of Australian society that we all value and we all support.
Congratulations to Hong Lim for organising this wonderful evening.
And I want to say one thing about the Premier.
Im from South Australia and we are well known for our rivalry with Victoria.
But I have to say how proud I am as a member of the Labor Party to be here with a Premier who leads such a progressive and far-sighted Labor Government here in Victoria.
Ive been asked to say a few words about federal political issues.
We had a new Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull, and many Australians hoped that he would be somebody who might take us forward from the divisions that Mr Abbott had imposed upon us that he would show himself to be a moderate, centre-ground alternative.
But it is disappointing for many Australians that Mr Turnbull has shown himself to be a Prime Minister more like Tony Abbott than Malcolm Turnbull.
He has failed to show leadership on many things, and remember the context of this is a Liberal Government whose Attorney-General defended the rights of the bigots, defended the rights of those who wish to speak of prejudice and discrimination.
I could talk to you about this Governments failure of leadership when it comes to the economy to look at wages growth which has slumped to its lowest pace in two decades; to look at economic growth and living standards having declined.
But what I really want to talk to you about tonight are the values of multiculturalism, the values of diversity and inclusion.
We are living through difficult times, those of us who believe in an Australia that is diverse and inclusive.
We have a federal Immigration Minister who singles out particular communities for denigration.
We have a Prime Minister reviving Tony Abbotts plans to water down the Racial Discrimination Act, section 18C and its protections against hate speech.
And we have a Government that is cuddling up to One Nation.
I sit in the Senate and every day I can tell you that is what is happening.
The phrase cuddling up to One Nation, they are not my words.
They are the words of Liberal backbencher Russell Broadbent who described the Turnbull Governments relationship with One Nation as cuddling up that tells you everything you want to know.
One Nation is a party with highly-regressive policies on immigration and multiculturalism.
It now has four Senators in the federal Parliament and its policies include:
- Zero net overseas migration to Australia.
- Barring Muslims from migrating to Australia.
- And removing the Constitutions guarantee of freedom of religion.
And we also remember the then Prime Minister John Howards refusal to distance himself from her until he was forced to do so by the community.
Today, yet again, she is making false claims she is claiming that Australia is in danger of being swamped by Muslims and another Liberal Prime Minister is cuddling up rather than confronting this prejudice.
So I say to you, this dinner comes at an important time because we have more people in the federal Parliament espousing these views than at any time in our lifetimes.
In this current political environment, it is more important than ever for all of us to take a stand for a diverse, tolerant, accepting, respectful multicultural Australia.
The leadership of the Coalition Government may have abandoned that responsibility, but we must not.
And I say to all who are of Asian heritage, it does not matter that she has moved on from us to the Muslim community because we must stand against discrimination and prejudice whoever is the target.
So Labor, as you have seen tonight and as you see every day, we will continue to advocate for the values of openness, of tolerance, of respect, of acceptance which have allowed our country to build one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world.
We will continue to advocate for the benefits of a sensible migration policy.
One in four Australians were born overseas.
And I agree with the Premier this diversity is a source of social, cultural and economic strength.
It is part of our history and it is key to our future.
It has given this nation unique capabilities and competitive advantages.
It brings fresh perspectives, fosters creativity, drives innovation all keys to Australias future success and future prosperity.
Australias immigration program delivers social, economic and humanitarian benefits.
Migration has positive effects on our community and on the economy.
It boosts demand and it brings in new sources of savings and capital as well as new skills, technologies and ideas.
We know from experience, migrants bring knowledge and contacts in international markets which strengthen our trade relations and broaden our business horizons.
And Australias diverse workforce gives us a competitive advantage in the global economy.
The Productivity Commission has estimated that maintaining migration at our historical rates will increase Australias per capita GDP by 7 per cent by 2060 compared to a scenario of zero net migration.
Thats an extra $7,000 for every Australian man, woman and child compared to zero net migration, which is the policy of One Nation.
Friends, we know that the vast majority of Australians are not racist, are not xenophobic and are not intolerant.
But we also know that fear of change, fear of the unknown and the unfamiliar, is an understandable human instinct, especially when it is fanned by xenophobes pushing a political agenda.
But we also know from our lives, from our personal experience, that prejudice rarely survives personal connection, it rarely survives personal engagement.
Which highlights the importance of the work that so many in this room do, bringing communities together, bringing people together.
Because I believe we do much better if we focus on the things that we share the values that we share, the love of this nation that we share rather than on the differences that some would have us focus on.
So friends, if we are to maintain an open, accepting Australia we cannot sit by while those who want to pull the shutters down create anxiety and fear.
Prejudice and fear can tear a community apart, but they can never build one no country has ever become stronger and safer by targeting people because of their ethnicity or religion.
So we need to affirm our values of tolerance and diversity.
We need political, business and community leaders to speak up, to remind us that migration has built this nation.
Friends, look around you tonight this is Australia, this is what Australia looks like.
And we have to demonstrate the optimism and dynamism of our diversity and defend all those communities who have been targeted by One Nation and others.
So I am very proud of principled Labor leaders like Daniel and Bill and Tanya and many others, those in this room, who provide that leadership, who stand up for the values we share.
I am very proud of hard-working, committed Parliamentary representatives like Hong Lim who are putting Labors values into action in our community.
But most of all I am proud of you and your communities, who demonstrate every day, in all that you do, in the contribution that you make to our society, that Pauline Hanson and her ideas are wrong.
We know that and we will continue to speak out for the values we share.
Thank you.
