The Australian Human Rights Commission's race discrimination commissioner has slammed comments made by Nationals Senator Barry O’Sullivan during Tuesday’s senate estimates as “racially derogatory”.
During a discussion about the proposed Biosecurity Imports Levy at senate estimates, Mr O’Sullivan said “some bloody old Chinaman” was a bigger risk to Australia’s biosecurity than importers.
"There's a bigger chance of us having a biosecurity breach from some bloody old Chinaman that brings in his favourite sausage down the front of his undies," he said at Tuesday's hearing.
Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan. Source: AAP
“There are millions of people each week who come across our borders that enhance our biosecurity risk,” he added.
Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan told SBS News that “Chinaman” was a “racially derogatory term”.
“[The term] would be offensive and insulting to many Australians, including more than 1.2 million Australians of Chinese heritage,” he said.
“Our Members of parliament have a responsibility not to invoke this sort of language.”
Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils (FECCA) chairperson Mary Patetsos also responded to Mr O’Sullivan’s statements, calling them “damaging”.
"Speech that has a racial element to it helps perpetuate and normalise racism, and that has a particularly damaging effect when the person using that language is a community leader,” she said.
"FECCA encourages Senator O’Sullivan, and indeed all politicians and public figures, to avoid using this type of language in the future."
The former race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane tweeted: "Unfortunately, I’m not surprised to see the casual use of a racist term from Barry O’Sullivan in the Senate."
It was revealed at Senate estimates the Agriculture Department has received mostly negative feedback over the proposed Biosecurity Imports Levy, which would tax containers brought into the country.
The new levy is due to start on July 1 and would be imposed on all cargo imported to Australia by sea, with the exception of military equipment.
Mr O’Sullivan also came under fire in November last year, when he declared himself to be a women in Parliament because he was tired of being attacked for his opposition to abortion.
"I'm going to declare my gender today - as I can - to be a woman, and then you'll no longer be able to attack me," he said garnering derision on social media.
