For

Pallavi Sinha

Pallavi Sinha is a second-generation Indian Australian and lawyer. Much of her work is in immigration and family law. The former journalist and adjunct lecturer at the College of Law also has an artistic side. She is a classical Indian dancer and appears in the new film UnIndian, which stars Brett Lee. She is the Women’s Chair of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) and serves on the Multicultural Consultation Council of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board.

Against

Rita Panahi

Rita Panahi is an American-born Iranian Australian and Herald Sun columnist. She is a regular commentator on 3AW, Sky News and Sunrise. As a migrant she argues nowhere in the world offers better opportunities or more safety than Australia. Rita says she has seen Afghans turned away from medical support in Iran for no reason other than race and believes Australia does not experience racism like that.She points to our high immigration figures as evidence.

Against

Jack Thompson AO

Jack Thompson is an iconic and celebrated Australian actor who received an Order of Australia for his contributions to film. He is best known for playing ‘quintessentially Aussie’ characters in movies like The Man from Snowy River and Wake in Fright. Jack works closely with Aboriginal communities to build housing and reduce unemployment through the Jack Thompson Foundation.

For

Stan Grant

Stan Grant is an Aboriginal Australian and international editor at Sky News. He descends from the Wiradjuri people of central New South Wales, where his father is an elder. In response to the booing of AFL player Adam Goodes, Stan wrote an article about the Aboriginal experience of racism in Australia, where people “are proud of their tolerance” but “perplexed when challenged on race, their response often defensive”.