Australia’s racism watchdog said the country is experiencing a resurgence in lawmakers exploiting race to advance their political agendas and listed ethnic Chinese and Sudanese among the minorities who are suffering.
Tom Soutphommasane said in the final speech of his five-year tenure as race discrimination commissioner that as politicians take advantage of voter fears of some ethnic groups, sections of the Australian media are exploiting racism to earn revenue from racist audiences.
“I take no pleasure in saying this but, right now, it feels like there has never been a more exciting time to be a dog-whistling politician or race-baiting commentator in Australia,” Soutphommasane said at a Sydney university.
“Five years ago, I wouldn’t have said it was likely that we would see the resurgence of far-
right politics. Yet here we are,” he added.
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