Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has renewed her call for the Bondi Royal Commission to be expanded to examine all forms of racism and hate, arguing the current scope does not adequately address violence and extremism targeting First Nations and other marginalised communities.
Her comments follow evidence at Senate Estimates, where Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said she had discussed including racism and hatred directed at First Nations people with Attorney-General Michelle Rowland as part of the terms of reference for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion (RCASC).
Senator Thorpe has consistently pushed for the inquiry's expansion and for the government to adopt the 2024 recommendations of the National Anti-Racism Framework. Her calls come after the alleged terror attack on Indigenous people and allies attending an Invasion Day rally in Perth on January 26.
Federal Police have charged a 31-year-old man with terror offences after he allegedly threw a bomb that failed to detonate. Police will allege the incident was a nationalist and racially motivated attack targeting First Nations people.
The RCASC was established after the December Bondi attack that killed 15 Jewish people. One of its four key focus areas is developing recommendations to strengthen social cohesion and address religiously and ideologically motivated extremism.
In a statement, Senator Thorpe said the Boorloo / Perth attack had left people "shaken and worried about what comes next".
"First Peoples are scared," she said.
"Yet, there is never urgent political action to target racism in all its forms, and it seems that the lives of First Peoples — and black and brown people — somehow are worth less. This is not just a blatant double standard by our so-called leaders; it is systemic racism shamelessly showing its ugly face."
View this post on Instagram
During estimates on Monday, Senator McCarthy said she was "very concerned about the increase in online hatred and racism, in particular towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people".
"And of course, I'm also looking very closely at what possibilities there are with the Royal Commission," she said.
The Minister said the issue of hate and racism towards First Peoples had been discussed with the Attorney-General "over a period of time since the Royal Commission was established".
When asked whether the current scope was broad enough to "countenance" those concerns, she said, "I certainly understand in terms of the terms of reference, there is an avenue there."
"I will be encouraging people to put in their submissions, in particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people...to the Royal Commission about their concerns about racism and hatred."
National Indigenous Australians Agency chief executive Julie-Ann Guivarra told estimates the agency had been invited to meetings because of the social cohesion component and that the Attorney-General's department was consulting First Nations representatives.
However, she did not directly answer whether she had personally "advocated for an explicit term of reference change to address racism against First Nations people".
View this post on Instagram
Senator Thorpe said consultation alone was insufficient.
"It is no assurance to our people that the racism we face is being taken seriously," she said.
"The government needs to officially expand the Royal Commission to look into all forms of right-wing extremism, because it is not just Jewish people in this country, it is also First Peoples, Muslims and black and brown people.
"We need to stand with everyone and make sure all our communities are safe. Otherwise, there cannot and will not be 'social cohesion'."
Speaking to ABC Radio, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said racism against First Peoples had been increasing and that the alleged Perth attack had "led to enormous fear and anxiety...amongst many Aboriginal people and in Aboriginal communities".
"But this comes on top of years now of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people telling us that racism against them is increasing," she said.
"The royal commission terms of reference already allow the commissioner to look at best practices and approaches to de-radicalisation and strengthening social cohesion."
