Giridharan Sivaraman: Race Discrimination Commissioner slams ‘social cohesion’ as cover to ignore racism

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman slammed the idea of “social cohesion” as a smokescreen that lets racism fester unchecked.

Speaking at the National Press Club today, he warned that without confronting discrimination head-on and calling out racism by name, efforts at unity will remain hollow.

Mr Sivaraman called out governments for dodging the word “racism,” hiding behind euphemisms while the nation grapples with a “terrifying surge” in racial hate, fuelled by global conflicts and social media

“You’ve got to name the beast to slay it. You’ve got to confront the issue.”” he declared.

He called for Australia to have “honest conversations” about discrimination and not to shy away from using the word racism.

“There are some levels of government that don’t even want to use the word ‘racism’. They’d rather use euphemisms like ‘social cohesion’ or something else,” he said.

“It’s not clear what social cohesion means and we just shouldn’t allow it to obscure anti-racism work,” he said.

“If it means we all have to get along — it would be great for us all to get along — but you don’t get along by pretending racism doesn’t exist. You’re going to have to deal with that first.

“You don’t get along by saying to people ‘well, look, all of you — just assimilate’.

It comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese quietly axed his short-lived Special Envoy for Social Cohesion, Federal MP Peter Khalil.

Mr Sivaraman said would work with anyone reappointed to the job.

He also used the address to call for swifter action on addressing discrimination from the Government, saying the Commission’s National Anti-racism Framework was still being considered after it was released last November.

The road map has 63 recommendations across the legal, justice, health, education, media and arts sectors.

The Albanese Government is still considering recommendations made in Special Envoy for Anti-Semitisim Jillian Segal’s report released earlier this year.

Mr Sivaraman said discrimination harmed the nation’s economic output and quality of life, adding the issue had only increased amid the conflict in Gaza and further fuelled by social media echo chambers.

“The war in Gaza has triggered a terrifying surge of anti-Semitism, anti-Palestinian racism, anti-Arab racism and Islamophobic hate,” Mr Sivaraman said.

“Of course we don’t want conflict here but we can’t distance ourselves from the inhumanity that occurs.

“When the massacre of 1200 Jews and Israelis by Hamas on October 7 is not acknowledged, it dehumanises them. By extension, Jewish and Israeli Australians.”

He said there was systemic and structural racism in Australia, and labelled the Government’s approach as “ad hoc” and “piecemeal” to dealing with the issue.

He also accused the Government of taking approaches which “pit communities against each other”.

He said by acknowledging the harm of one group experienced without a balanced approach it could leave another feeling unheard and prompt “distrust” in government.

“Some Government approaches pit communities against each other rather than fostering shared solutions,” he said

“When it comes to solutions that will tackle racism, if you just work with one community to the exclusion of another, you don’t come up with solutions that will help everyone.

“Communities feel like they’re not seen, they’re not heard, that their trauma isn’t real - that creates distrust in government.

“Provide a whole-of-government approach. Provide the best outcomes for everyone.”