Social cohesion at risk from counter-terrorism rhetoric, race commissioner says Community harmony has deteriorated since the PM coined the phrase Team Australia, and leaders should consider the language they use, Tim Soutphommasane says
Social cohesion has deteriorated since the government put counter-terrorism on the political agenda, and Muslim Australians are bearing the brunt of it, the race discrimination commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane, has said.
The commissioner spoke at the National Press Club on Tuesday, where he gave an impassioned defence of the Racial Discrimination Act.
He said some members of the community were being "emboldened to express their extremist views" since the government increased the terror alert to high, and Tony Abbott coined the phrase Team Australia.