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Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi has lashed the Albanese government over its failure to fund implementation of the anti-racism framework, claiming that it “really does not give a damn about what people of colour are facing”.
The Australian Human Rights Commission launched in November 2024 its National Anti-Racism Framework, which included 63 recommendations for tackling racism across the legal, education, health, and media sectors in Australia.
However, more than 19 months later, the government still had not provided funding in the 2026-27 budget for implementation of the framework, Senator Faruqi told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
In a fiery exchange, Senator Green told Labor Senator Nita Green “it just seems to me, Minister, that the government really does not give a damn about what people of colour are facing in the community every single day”.
“The Race Discrimination Commissioner has written to the Attorney-General on multiple occasions literally pleading for action on the National Anti-Racism Framework, and yet the only response that even the Race Discrimination Commissioner gets is it is being carefully considered,” she said.
“But, while you are carefully considering people are being harmed every single day in this country.”
Senator Green said she rejected the “assertion”, and said the government was taking an “holistic” approach.
Earlier, Senator Green said the government had provided funding to the AHRC to develop the framework, and that it was now “carefully considering” the recommendations.
“It’s not a requirement that the government would respond in the way that other reports require a response,” she said.
“But, we’re considering those recommendations and, further to that, we’re certainly committed to a holistic response to address racism.”
Senator Green noted funding for a number of anti-racism programs, including the AHRC’s Seen and Heard project, as well as recent hate speech reforms.
However, Senator Faruqi questioned “how much consideration do you have to give” the recommendations of the framework, with officials stating recommendations were directed at federal and state governments, as well as the private sector.
“So, it’s not for the Commonwealth to solely implement the recommendations or consider the recommendations,” they said.
“There is ongoing work alongside considering the reports of the Special Envoys for Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
“So, there’s a broad range of connecting issues that are being considered across government.”
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