'I will not stand for that': Senator Michaelia Cash slams Penny Wong, claiming she ‘sought to dismiss' Jacinta Nampinipa Price
Ms Cash slammed Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong in the Senate on Thursday for having 'sought to dismiss" Ms Price's views on Welcome to Country, which the Indigenous Senator believes is 'virtue signalling' before every Parliamentary session.
The fiery stoush came after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson led a protest from her party to turn their backs on the Acknowledgement of Country ceremony during the opening of Parliament on Tuesday.
During Thursday's Senate sitting, Ms Price said she was "sick to death" of the Indigenous heritage being 'objectified" and used as "political tokens".
Ms Price said Australians should be proud of all backgrounds and cultures.
After the Indigenous Senator spoke, Ms Wong launched into a rebuke of Ms Hanson over her protest and urged Ms Price to heed the words of Liberal leader Sussan Ley, who is more supportive of Acknowledgement of Country ceremonies.
Ms Wong quoted Ms Ley as saying: "May it set the tone as we recommit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunities for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country."
An enraged Ms Cash fired up over the dismissal of Ms Hanson and Ms Price's opinions and said the One Nation leader had "every right" to have a point of view.
Ms Cash further defended Ms Price's remarks and demanded the chamber read up on the Indigenous Senator's past and upbringing before casting "aspersions" or "tell us to respect other words".
"Do not ever demean anybody. Senator Jacinta Nampajimpa Price. Her mother's story—Bess Price—I suggest you all read it. A woman walking through the desert was her mother," Ms Cash said.
"I suggest you read the story of Bess Price before you ever come in here and cast aspersions or tell us, Senator Wong, to respect other words.
"I will stand by and respect Senator Jacinta Nampajimpa Price, who every day has lived and breathed reconciliation in this country. Her father is white, her mother is black.
"Don't ever come into this place again and pontificate to us like you've just done."
Speaking to Sky News after the Senate stoush, Ms Cash said she will 'defend' Senator Price and the right for her to voice her opinion 'every single day of the week".
"In relation to Senator Hanson and One Nation turning their backs on the President during the [Acknowledgement of Country], which I've made clear to Senator Hanson and she accepts is inappropriate, unfortunately became a debate in relation to whether or not a Welcome to Country is appropriate,' she told Chris Kenny.
"Senator Malarndirri McCarthy put Labor's point of view articulately, Senator Waters the Greens, Senator Pauline Hanson, One Nation, and then Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price articulately and through lived experience gave her opinion. That should have been the end of the matter, Chris, but Senator Wong, as leader of the government, decided that she would be the last speaker and sought to dismiss Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's view.
"I will not stand for that. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's opinion in relation to whether or not a Welcome to Country is appropriate is as relevant as any other Senators."
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The Advertiser
28 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Nostalgia and political beef cap first sitting period
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"We have a clear agenda of helping Australians, they have an agenda of fighting amongst themselves." For the past two weeks, much of opposition's schedule has been dominated by in-fighting instigated by a handful of Nationals MPs that have brought forward a private member's bill to repeal Australia's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. The opposition's leaders have kept the door open on the issue while others within the coalition support the target, but Nationals boss David Littleproud said the opposition would soon reach a position and maintained it had been a productive sitting period. "I will never knock anybody from putting forward a private member's bill - that would subvert our democratic principles and what this place is all about," he told reporters in Canberra. "(But) once you join the Labor team, you can't have a voice outside of it." 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A sense of nostalgia has pervaded the nation's capital as the 48th parliament's first sitting fortnight drew to a close. After two weeks of political beef over US cattle, battles between and within parties, and the passage of major election promises, Australia's MPs and senators have patted themselves on the back as they jet out of Canberra. Labor used the period to celebrate its post-election parliamentary dominance, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese celebrating the plethora of first speeches from his party's freshest faces and achievements of the previous fortnight. But as his Question Time victory lap was interrupted by the coalition, Mr Albanese drew from the words of Joni Mitchell's 1970 hit Big Yellow Taxi to lament the coalition's departures from the previous government, specifically the former Liberal MP Paul Fletcher. "Joni Mitchell was right, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone," he told the lower chamber on Thursday. "We have a clear agenda of helping Australians, they have an agenda of fighting amongst themselves." For the past two weeks, much of opposition's schedule has been dominated by in-fighting instigated by a handful of Nationals MPs that have brought forward a private member's bill to repeal Australia's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. The opposition's leaders have kept the door open on the issue while others within the coalition support the target, but Nationals boss David Littleproud said the opposition would soon reach a position and maintained it had been a productive sitting period. "I will never knock anybody from putting forward a private member's bill - that would subvert our democratic principles and what this place is all about," he told reporters in Canberra. "(But) once you join the Labor team, you can't have a voice outside of it." Labor has been forced to reckon with dissent as the prime minister stared down an internal push to recognise Palestinian statehood, and insisting Australia would not be rushed on the issue. Instead, the government focused on implementing major commitments including a 20 per cent cut to student debt, which was promised at the election, and reforms to cut funding from childcare centres that fail to meet safety and quality standards. Education Minister Jason Clare thanked the coalition for helping pass both bills. "This is a different parliament and a different opposition leader," he told reporters. "Australians I think want us to work together on the big things that matter to help Australians." But both major parties maintained their disagreements, with Labor and the Greens opposing a coalition attempt to take US beef imports to an inquiry. Eyebrows have been raised at Australia's decision to lift restrictions on the product as the government attempts to negotiate a US tariff carve-out. 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"We have a clear agenda of helping Australians, they have an agenda of fighting amongst themselves." For the past two weeks, much of opposition's schedule has been dominated by in-fighting instigated by a handful of Nationals MPs that have brought forward a private member's bill to repeal Australia's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. The opposition's leaders have kept the door open on the issue while others within the coalition support the target, but Nationals boss David Littleproud said the opposition would soon reach a position and maintained it had been a productive sitting period. "I will never knock anybody from putting forward a private member's bill - that would subvert our democratic principles and what this place is all about," he told reporters in Canberra. "(But) once you join the Labor team, you can't have a voice outside of it." Labor has been forced to reckon with dissent as the prime minister stared down an internal push to recognise Palestinian statehood, and insisting Australia would not be rushed on the issue. Instead, the government focused on implementing major commitments including a 20 per cent cut to student debt, which was promised at the election, and reforms to cut funding from childcare centres that fail to meet safety and quality standards. Education Minister Jason Clare thanked the coalition for helping pass both bills. "This is a different parliament and a different opposition leader," he told reporters. "Australians I think want us to work together on the big things that matter to help Australians." But both major parties maintained their disagreements, with Labor and the Greens opposing a coalition attempt to take US beef imports to an inquiry. Eyebrows have been raised at Australia's decision to lift restrictions on the product as the government attempts to negotiate a US tariff carve-out.
SBS Australia
30 minutes ago
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Too many: 602 Indigenous deaths in custody since the royal commission
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Muslims, Palestinian supporters face surge in hate
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"It's a systemic tolerance of the suppression of voices calling for justice and human rights." Meanwhile, tough anti-protest laws in NSW and similar legislation under consideration in Victoria were a worry for all Australians, independent researcher Naser Alziyadat said. "What is truly alarming is the systemic erosion of the democratic values that Australia has long cherished," Dr Alziyadat said. Muslim Australians and people expressing support for Palestine face more abuse, attacks and potential professional exclusion, fresh data shows. Islamophobic incidents have surged more than six-fold over the past 21 months compared to a similar period before Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 1500 incidents have been reported to the Islamophobic Register Australia in the period since the attack. "We've seen deeply inadequate responses from governments, institutions, civil society," register co-executive director Sharara Attai told AAP. 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Australia's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, has recommended the definition be adopted across all levels of government and by public institutions. "We need to see a principle of consistent commitment to combating all forms of racism ... and without weaponising any of these forms of racism to suppress legitimate political discourse," Ms Attai said. The Islamophobia report found increasing levels of systemic issues targeting both Muslim and non-Muslim Australians who face reputational damage and professional exclusion for supporting Palestinian rights. These include being uninvited from speaking engagements or being reprimanded or investigated for social media posts, such as wrongfully dismissed radio host Antoinette Lattouf. "It's not just about talking about specific or isolated incidents," Ms Attai said. "There is an entrenched pattern." The report also called out a rising level of force used by police at protests, and Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian racism being ignored or minimised by authorities. The Islamophobia register is a not-for-profit that has collected hate incident data for more than a decade, working in partnership with Australian universities and Islamic community groups. "What we're seeing is not just a spike in anti-Palestinian incidents," Palestine Australia Relief and Action founder Rasha Abbas said. "It's a systemic tolerance of the suppression of voices calling for justice and human rights." Meanwhile, tough anti-protest laws in NSW and similar legislation under consideration in Victoria were a worry for all Australians, independent researcher Naser Alziyadat said. "What is truly alarming is the systemic erosion of the democratic values that Australia has long cherished," Dr Alziyadat said. Muslim Australians and people expressing support for Palestine face more abuse, attacks and potential professional exclusion, fresh data shows. Islamophobic incidents have surged more than six-fold over the past 21 months compared to a similar period before Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 1500 incidents have been reported to the Islamophobic Register Australia in the period since the attack. "We've seen deeply inadequate responses from governments, institutions, civil society," register co-executive director Sharara Attai told AAP. About 1200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage when Hamas, a designated terrorist group in Australia, attacked Israel. Israel's subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 60,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. The conflict has led to upswings in both Islamophobic and anti-Semitic incidents across Australia, including arson and graffiti attacks on places of worship. But the federal government's response to the two issues had been unbalanced, Ms Attai said. "The government is taking the issue of anti-Semitism seriously and rightly so," she said. "The issue is that Islamophobia has not been treated with the same level of concern by government and by the media." The register's latest report warned against the use of definitions of racism like the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, due to concerns it could be used to stymie criticism of the Israeli government and its actions. Australia's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, has recommended the definition be adopted across all levels of government and by public institutions. "We need to see a principle of consistent commitment to combating all forms of racism ... and without weaponising any of these forms of racism to suppress legitimate political discourse," Ms Attai said. The Islamophobia report found increasing levels of systemic issues targeting both Muslim and non-Muslim Australians who face reputational damage and professional exclusion for supporting Palestinian rights. These include being uninvited from speaking engagements or being reprimanded or investigated for social media posts, such as wrongfully dismissed radio host Antoinette Lattouf. "It's not just about talking about specific or isolated incidents," Ms Attai said. "There is an entrenched pattern." The report also called out a rising level of force used by police at protests, and Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian racism being ignored or minimised by authorities. The Islamophobia register is a not-for-profit that has collected hate incident data for more than a decade, working in partnership with Australian universities and Islamic community groups. "What we're seeing is not just a spike in anti-Palestinian incidents," Palestine Australia Relief and Action founder Rasha Abbas said. "It's a systemic tolerance of the suppression of voices calling for justice and human rights." Meanwhile, tough anti-protest laws in NSW and similar legislation under consideration in Victoria were a worry for all Australians, independent researcher Naser Alziyadat said. "What is truly alarming is the systemic erosion of the democratic values that Australia has long cherished," Dr Alziyadat said. Muslim Australians and people expressing support for Palestine face more abuse, attacks and potential professional exclusion, fresh data shows. Islamophobic incidents have surged more than six-fold over the past 21 months compared to a similar period before Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 1500 incidents have been reported to the Islamophobic Register Australia in the period since the attack. "We've seen deeply inadequate responses from governments, institutions, civil society," register co-executive director Sharara Attai told AAP. About 1200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage when Hamas, a designated terrorist group in Australia, attacked Israel. Israel's subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 60,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. The conflict has led to upswings in both Islamophobic and anti-Semitic incidents across Australia, including arson and graffiti attacks on places of worship. But the federal government's response to the two issues had been unbalanced, Ms Attai said. "The government is taking the issue of anti-Semitism seriously and rightly so," she said. "The issue is that Islamophobia has not been treated with the same level of concern by government and by the media." The register's latest report warned against the use of definitions of racism like the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, due to concerns it could be used to stymie criticism of the Israeli government and its actions. Australia's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, has recommended the definition be adopted across all levels of government and by public institutions. "We need to see a principle of consistent commitment to combating all forms of racism ... and without weaponising any of these forms of racism to suppress legitimate political discourse," Ms Attai said. The Islamophobia report found increasing levels of systemic issues targeting both Muslim and non-Muslim Australians who face reputational damage and professional exclusion for supporting Palestinian rights. These include being uninvited from speaking engagements or being reprimanded or investigated for social media posts, such as wrongfully dismissed radio host Antoinette Lattouf. "It's not just about talking about specific or isolated incidents," Ms Attai said. "There is an entrenched pattern." The report also called out a rising level of force used by police at protests, and Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian racism being ignored or minimised by authorities. The Islamophobia register is a not-for-profit that has collected hate incident data for more than a decade, working in partnership with Australian universities and Islamic community groups. "What we're seeing is not just a spike in anti-Palestinian incidents," Palestine Australia Relief and Action founder Rasha Abbas said. "It's a systemic tolerance of the suppression of voices calling for justice and human rights." Meanwhile, tough anti-protest laws in NSW and similar legislation under consideration in Victoria were a worry for all Australians, independent researcher Naser Alziyadat said. "What is truly alarming is the systemic erosion of the democratic values that Australia has long cherished," Dr Alziyadat said.
