The Greens have responded to sickening reports of a violent assault by a man with a swastika on a First Nations woman and her daughter in Western Australia.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Anti-racism spokesperson, said:
“This is a horrendous act of racist violence and I hope the perpetrator is identified and prosecuted without delay.
“Far-right extremists and neo-Nazis are feeling emboldened. This is the crisis the government refuses to take seriously.
“The Liberals do not acknowledge racism and far-right extremism as existential threats to the community.
“The government has refused to commit any funding to anti-racism initiatives, or dedicated programs to tackle the far-right. The Liberals even go out of their way to re-write motions in parliament to remove references to far-right extremism.
“This horrific flamethrower attack is yet another wake-up call for the government. They must act now, or it’s only going to get worse.
“My thoughts are with the targets of this vicious attack, who I hope are getting the support that they need,” she said.
Senator Lidia Thorpe, Greens First Nations spokesperson, said:
“Right wing extremism is real, and the threat is growing.
“Racism kills. It harms people. I am appalled at this terrible act of violence – this shocking hate crime.
“But it doesn’t come from nowhere. There is a clear link between the politics of hate, and acts of hate. When politicians and prominent public figures spend years encouraging and amplifying the politics of hate, the inevitable outcome is violence.
“I’m ashamed that racial hatred and division is a standard being set out of Parliament.
“Right now, there is a moment of reckoning around the culture at Parliament House. This place should be setting the standard – but right now, it’s rife with discrimination of all kinds, including racism, sexism and misogyny.
“It’s absolutely necessary for politicians of all stripes not only to stop the racism in this place, but to send a clear message that it’s not in any way acceptable. We are meant to be uniting this country, not dividing it.”
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