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April 12, 2025
Saturday 12 April 2025
James Willis
The Daily Telegraph
The Albanese government has been urged to rein in its Race Discrimination Commissioner after he warned that failing to discuss racism with children “structurally maintains white supremacy”.
It comes after The Daily Telegraph revealed Giridharan Silvaraman had also claimed Australia Day was “not a day to be celebrated”. And to not acknowledge that just compounds racism”.
During a speech in October, Mr Sivaraman said: “Research has shown that children want to talk about race and racism and anyone here that has a child… knows that to be a fact.
“But parents and teachers silence or evade these discussions, or approach these discussions by encouraging young people not to see race.”
He then said this “denies the strength and pride that individuals and communities find within their racial identity, and structurally maintains white supremacy.”
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson slammed the comments.
“Australians are sick of being told by taxpayer-funded ideologues they are racist,” Mr Paterson said.
“This isn’t anti-racism, it’s ideological extremism dressed up as social justice — and it has no place in our public institutions. If Labor’s hand-picked Race Discrimination Commissioner wants to tear down the very institutions that have made Australia one of the world’s most successful, diverse and tolerant nations, he’s in the wrong job.”
Mr Sivaraman was selected for the $400,000-a-year role by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus from a shortlist of candidates last year. At the time, Mr Dreyfus described him as a “great asset”.
The Race Discrimination Commissioner’s comments about Australia’s national holiday were broadcast on an independent radio station in October last year.
“Australia Day is Invasion Day for our First Nations brothers and sisters, and is a day of mourning in many ways and not to be celebrated. And to not acknowledge that just compounds racism,” he was heard saying.
Mr Sivaraman has now told News Corp he believes the story “misrepresents what I said”.
“I did not say celebrating Australia Day is racist. What I said was that Australia Day represents pain and suffering for many First Nations people, and for them the day is not a day for celebration.
“It’s my job to stand up for the rights of all people in Australia, especially those who experience racism,” he said.
NSW Premier Chris Minns described Mr Sivaraman’s stance on the national day as “bonkers” and “absolutely crazy” when speaking to 2GB on Friday.
Mr Sivaraman, who attended Sydney Boys High School, has previously stated Australia’s “systems and institutions are inherently affected by racism” which continue to “maintain white power and privilege”.
He recently released a National Anti-Racism Framework, which cost taxpayers’ $7.5 million, and has made 63 recommendations about racism training, reforms to the curriculum and justice system, and First Nations truth-telling, one of the three pillars of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The Albanese government is considering the findings.