MARK DREYFUS MP

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security plays a vital role in ensuring that our security agencies are accountable to our elected representatives. In doing this, the committee helps to maintain public trust in those agencies.

When it comes to nation-building, the Liberal party cannot be trusted. From the Snowy Mountain Hydro, to Gonski needs based funding and all the way to the NBN, the only thing Malcolm Turnbull has been capable of is tacking on cheap three-word slogans or 2.0 on Labors visionary ideas.

Achieving justice, particularly for our indigenous Australians, can seem at times an arduous if not impossible task. It is not, and we mustn't allow ourselves to give in to that way of thinking.

But Australia will be far safer still if we minimise the need to apply extraordinary legal powers to our own citizens. We will be safer if we can inoculate our young men and women against radicalism, extremism and violence in the first place. We will be safer if we can prevent disaffection and make sure all members of our community feel part of the open, democratic society we want our country to be.

The Prime Minister must rule out any weakening of Australia's protection against racist hate speech.

For over 20 years, section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act has protected our community against racial hate speech, making it unlawful for a person to insult, humiliate, intimidate or offend someone because of their race or ethnic background.

Isaacs needs a world-class NBN, not a delayed copper 'fraudband'.