THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
MEDIA RELEASE
Extreme 18c changes could have been much worse
Reports today that the Attorney-General was rolled in Cabinet over his plan to entirely repeal Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act should worry all Australians.
Reports today that the Attorney-General was rolled in Cabinet over his plan to entirely repeal Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act should worry all Australians.
It is now clear that original version of the exposure draft Senator Brandis released this week was "much worse", according to his own Cabinet colleagues.
Yesterday John Roskam, from the Institute of Public Affairs, described the changes proposed by Senator Brandis as "a 95 percent result" from his perspective.
If Senator Brandis being rolled in Cabinet resulted in only 95 percent of what the IPA wanted, we can only assume he intended to deliver them a full repeal.
This shows how completely untrue the Attorney-General's claim that his proposal is strengthening protections against racial vilification is.
The reports Senator Brandis was not intending to even consult on the "terrible" Bill he had proposed to Cabinet also raise questions about the nature of the consultation process he has announced.
Apart from the short five-week time frame for the consultation, there has been no suggestion that the consultation will be open and transparent.
There has been no announcement of public hearings, no public website has been created, and no discussion paper has been released.
Tony Abbott needs to show some leadership and abandon this plan to give the green light to bigotry in Australia.
THURSDAY, 27 MARCH 2014
