MARK DREYFUS MP

I'm regularly contacted by people in my electorate, asking why their application to be a citizen of our great country the country that they love and they want to serve has been so delayed. People who want nothing more than to contribute to their adopted country, as citizens, are being kept waiting by this Liberal government, with no reasonable explanation.

What happened, were entitled to ask, to support for multiculturalism in this country? What happened to the rejection of racism?

We know that Mr Dutton is a beneficiary of a family trust, and we know that the corporate trustee of that family trust operates two childcare centres, at least one of which is operated on behalf of Mr Dutton and the other beneficiaries of the family trust. We also understand that those two childcare centres have received over $5.5 million in Commonwealth childcare subsidies since 2014.

This week we've seen the allegations against the Minister for Home Affairs, which have not been denied, that he used the power of his office to help others gain employment with the Australian Border Force.

A large part of the attraction of Dingley Village is its open space. It's blessed with parkland and large tracts of green, open space. That's the reason thousands of Dingley Village families have chosen to make it their home.

Thank you for the opportunity to address you all this evening, and in particular for the opportunity and privilege of thanking Dr Tim Soutphommasane for his five years of excellent service to this country as our nations Race Discrimination Commissioner.

There can be no doubt how hard Tim has worked over the last five years, meeting challenge after challenge under conditions that at times could be described, generously, as difficult.

The importance of section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act in our multicultural society cannot and must not be underestimated.

The key threats that these two bills seek to address are those of covert foreign interference and covert foreign influence in our democratic processes. As a democratic nation with a policy of openness marked by public participation not only in elections but also in governmental decision-making we are more open to the threats of covert foreign influence and covert foreign interference than are some other nations with political systems that are largely closed to public involvement.

Labor will always work to keep Australians safe and, at the same time, we will ensure that the rights and freedoms enjoyed by all Australians are upheld.

We support the bill because it will provide greater legal protections for our schools, for our universities and for our libraries and cultural institutions to operate efficiently in the digital age. At the same time, this bill balances the interests of rights holders with those of the important educational and cultural institutions that will benefit from the extended protections provided under the expanded safe harbour scheme.