Australian Greens Anti-racism spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said the findings of the latest Mapping Social Cohesion report, which highlight a substantial increase in Australians' concerns about racism, should drive government action. 60% of people now say racism is a big problem, up from 40% just last year.
Senator Faruqi said:
"People are more and more worried about rising racism in the community.
"Increasing community awareness has aligned with the continued growth of far-right, racist movements. The impacts of racist hatred on minority communities can no longer be denied.
"Meanwhile, the Morrison government's head is firmly planted in the sand. The government hasn't funded a national anti-racism strategy since 2015.
"Just because a conservative government full of white men doesn't feel the brunt of racism doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
"ASIO is now saying up to 50 per cent of its domestic counter-terrorism caseload is taken up by ideologically-motivated extremism, which has been driven by a rise in right-wing extremism.
"We urgently need federal government investment in a national anti-racism strategy and a coordinated plan to tackle the far-right."
