March for Australia
Statement
Hon Rod Caddies (5:38 pm): I rise today to address the unfair and misguided criticism levelled at me and thousands of other proud Australians who attended the March for Australia rally. This rally was not about division or hate. There was a call to hold successive governments accountable for decades of poor decisions contributing to our housing crisis, strained health system and erosion of our freedoms. The other day, a member on the other side claimed that the rally I spoke at targeted migrants of specific nationality, blaming them for housing, health and employment issues and using them as scapegoats. This is categorically false. My speech emphasised that the issue is unsustainable population growth driven by government policy, not the race or nationality of migrants. I defended migrants, stating clearly that the fault lies with the government's decisions, not individuals seeking a better life.
The member also suggested that rallies like this are illegitimate and divisive, calling parliamentarians who spoke there fools and comparing our actions to divisive political tactics in the US. I respectfully disagree. Peacefully rallying to demand government accountability is a legitimate exercise of free speech. It is not about hate. It is about seeking solutions for all Australians. The member said:
Calling people out using the nationalistic tone of being Australian can rip the bandaid off very quickly.
In response, I asked, "Are you not a proud Australian?" The member responded:
I am a very proud Australian of mixed heritage, as are many people in this place, but it does not mean that I will target a group and say they should not be here because of their nationality or their background.
I am happy to hear the member say that she would not target people based on their nationality, as neither would I, and I do not believe 99.9% of the people at the March for Australia would.
My opening remarks at the rally were: "Australians, whether your roots go back 60,000 years or six years, we all call this land home. Let us stand united as one nation to protect the freedoms and mateship that make this country great." This was a call for unity, not division. I sent out a media release before the March for Australia in which I explained my reasons for attending. I wanted to make sure that legitimate concerns of everyday Australians about immigration levels were not hijacked by a tiny group of people. I wanted to make sure that our migrant communities understood that the majority of those marching that day were not their enemy. And I note that that is exactly what I did. I confronted the small group of those people whose views most attendees did not agree with and told them what I thought of them. There was no violence in WA. There was no disorder. The crowd did not welcome the Neo-Nazis. They were booed and ridiculed by the multiracial crowd of proud Australians. What the people who marched for Australia achieved was to force a conversation on immigration levels. Even the Prime Minister has now been forced to concede that the people who protested on that day had legitimate concerns about immigration levels.
I now turn to deeply disappointing comments made by a member of this house that I feel compelled to address due to them being targeted at me and their public impact. After the rally, I was invited to speak on ABC radio, which I did. However, after I finished, the member called in to the radio station and stated:
… really distressed to see those images on the streets of Perth yesterday … big, huge signs saying, "stop immigration" … And I'm really disappointed and just think it's disgraceful … for my Upper House colleague, Rod Caddies from the One Nation Party, to speak at that rally.
I mean, Rod knew who was going to be there and for him to now try and distance themselves from those groups this morning and condemn the Neo-Nazis. Like, Rod knew exactly who was going to be there. He knew how inflammatory this rally was going to be and who it was going to attract and to now try and kind of mainstream these thoughts and say … "these are just ordinary Australians who have concerns", I think that's really disgraceful and I just think it needs to be called out. And … I just think there's no place for a parliamentarian to speak at a rally like that that is so obviously a racist rally.
Additionally, in an online post, the same member posted:
Racism against migrants and people of colour in this country is not new, but it has been blatantly normalised and legitimised by politicians fanning the flames of hate for their political gain.
It is shameful that WA Upper House MLC Rod Caddies is reportedly among the speakers on Sunday.
It's completely inappropriate for a Western Australian parliamentarian to speak at what is a white-supremacist rally.
What politicians use their platform for matters.
Politicians across the country are guilty of racist scapegoating to divert attention away from the real drivers of the issues facing all of us.
These statements are baseless and misrepresent both my actions and the rally's purpose. I condemned any extremist elements and focused solely on policy failures and unsustainable immigration levels, not race. To suggest I knowingly associated with inflammatory groups is unfair and inaccurate. My speech was clear. The rally was about numbers, not prejudice, and government accountability, not division. I am aware that the member who made these statements attends and speaks at rallies. To be honest, I do not fully agree with those rallies; however, I commend that member for standing up for what they believe in, and I have huge respect for their commitment to supporting their cause. I am not angry. Rather, I am saddened by these remarks, which have fuelled online vitriol, including one post in which I was called a despicable human being. Such rhetoric deepens division and distracts from the real issues. Just this morning, we saw the devastating outcome of people feeding hatred against an individual with the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk. He was a beacon of light who fostered open discussion and tirelessly championed the exchange of ideas with respect and clarity. He fought for freedom of speech and wanted to unite people through dialogue rather than division. It is a profound tragedy for humanity.
I stand by my participation in the rally because I called for unity and accountability. I am proud to stand up for my nation, its flag and our culture. Celebrating and protecting the values of mateship, freedom and fairness defines us. We must address the legitimate concerns of Australians about housing, health care and freedom through constructive dialogue, not misrepresentation. I invite my colleagues to join me in focusing on solutions for all Australians.
