Welcome to La Trobe University’s Clever Conversations.

In this episode, from our Ideas and Society program, you will hear a discussion on racism in contemporary Australia. Has racism entered the political mainstream? Or, is its influence found only among the far-right extremist groups and lone wolves?

This discussion follows the horrific terrorist attack at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, on the 15th of March, 2019. The Christchurch shootings revealed that even one well-armed racist can wreak havoc in any country, anywhere.

Although almost everyone in Australian politics and the media condemns racism, disagreement exists on the question of whether racism in Australia is widespread and structural, or found exclusively on the far-right extremist fringe.

Discussing these issues is a panel of four experts, featuring Professor Tim Soutphommasane, who is a political theorist and Australia’s former race discrimination commissioner, and Tom Switzer, the director of the conservative think-tank, the Centre for Independent Studies, and former well-respected opinion editor at The Australian. You’ll also hear from La Trobe University alumna Tasneem Chopra, who is a cross cultural consultant on issues of cultural competence, and Associate Professor Chelsea Bond, a distinguished academic, who has worked in Indigenous health promotion, culture, identity and community development.