"Our society is diminished by inflammatory rhetoric or appeals to xenophobia. We expect our political representatives to set the tone for our society, not to be targeting particular groups with hostility. We should be forthright in speaking out against political appeals to fear. And we should resist political attempts to divide Australians according to race or religion," Soutphommasane’s speech notes said, as quoted by The Guardian.
Soutphommasane is going to remind that 20 years ago Hanson had said that Australia was swamped by Asians, who felt unwelcome in Australia after that.
"Today, it is Muslim Australians who may feel unwelcome. This is the cost of the politics of division," he is expected to say.
According to the fresh Essential poll, 49 percent of Australians support Hanson’s initiative while 40 percent oppose it.
