The senator - who would become foreign minister if Labor wins the May 18 election - says the rise of One Nation, the United Australia Party and far-right senator Fraser Anning are examples of a recent disruption to the global order.

"We (also) see these trends in the failure of some of our political leaders, including the current prime minister, to take a clear and unambiguous stand against the politics of prejudice and division," she told the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Wednesday.

She said Mr Morrison was supporting promoters of fear and division through a preference deal with Clive Palmer and a refusal to have One Nation preferenced last in all seats.

"(These are) figures whose views hark back to the White Australia policy - harming the perception of our nation in the region," Senator Wong said.

"This is beneath the standards we should expect from any prime minister."

Mr Morrison has accused the opposition of hypocrisy over its attack on coalition preferences, saying Labor has put Mr Palmer's party above the Liberals on their how-to-vote cards in 87 lower house seats.

The Liberal Party has also said it will preference Senator Anning's party last in every seat except when "even worse" candidates are running, such as white supremacist Jim Saleam.

Wong, who was born in Malaysia and moved to Adelaide aged eight, emphasised the power of political leaders' words by noting she felt Australia was "really" home after then-prime minister Paul Keating highlighted Asia's importance to Australia when she was in her 20s.

"Narratives matter, as do perceptions," she said.

"There are times when Australia's past attitudes on race can be evoked in ways which are neither accurate nor helpful.

"This was brought home to me during the first iteration of Pauline Hanson, when my father, still living in Malaysia, asked me if I would need to leave Australia."

Senator Wong also announced her first overseas trip as foreign minister would be to Indonesia and Malaysia.

Australian Associated Press