Politicians have been accused of being the primary drivers of racism while sweeping reform recommendations to address prejudice gather dust.
As Australia grapples with rising anti-immigrant sentiment and the fallout from a deadly terror attack on a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, the nation's leaders have leaned on terms like "social cohesion" in a bid for unity.
But far from alleviating tensions, community groups and Australia's race discrimination commissioner have pointed the finger back at politicians for making the situation worse.
"It is often politicians themselves who have been the primary drivers of division," Australian National Imams Council President Shadi Alsuleiman told AAP.
In the lead-up to the federal election, MPs from all sides of the political spectrum were "dehumanising migrants and using inflammatory rhetoric that could lead to racism as a tool for garnering votes," commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said.
The federal government has been searching for ways to stymie hate, recently passing controversial laws that experts say could scupper political criticism and free speech.
But the solution has been in front of them the whole time, Mr Sivaraman said.
The Australian Human Rights Commission in November 2024 presented the government with a comprehensive plan to tackle all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, through the National Anti-Racism Framework.
More than 54 organisations including the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia, the Refugee Council of Australia and the Australian Council of Social Service have called for it to be funded and followed.
Though the government received the report more than 430 days ago, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland's office says it is "carefully considering" the 63 recommendations.
A date for when it will formally respond is unknown.
"The government is taking a multifaceted approach to combating the scourge of racism, with action underway across a range of portfolios," a spokesperson for the attorney-general said.
This inaction has been frustrating for the race discrimination commissioner.
"Not taking action against racism means harm continues to be suffered across our society ... racism can lead to death in a variety of ways," Mr Sivaraman told AAP.
"There are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are dying from diseases eradicated in the rest of the population 30 years ago ... there's over-representation of communities impacted by racism in our justice system, and deaths in custody continue."
He said Australians would benefit from a better society if politicians were courageous, honest and transparent about racism.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, who supports the framework, has said the major parties hide behind terms like "social cohesion" to whitewash issues regarding racism.
"This is not only a distraction but it is dangerous, as it allows hate to fester," she told AAP.
"Instead of a ridiculous system of envoys, the government should create a standalone anti-racism portfolio and a minister responsible for it."
The framework proposes reforms across legal, justice, health, education, workplaces, media and arts and data collection.
