THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
SENATOR THE HON LISA SINGH
SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SENATOR FOR TASMANIA
MEDIA RELEASE
LABOR WELCOMES COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS UNITING AGAINST HATE SPEECH
Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus QC and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney-General Senator Lisa Singh have welcomed the action of 150 community organisations who have united to call on the Attorney-General not to repeal the protections against racial hate speech in Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
"Senator Brandis has claimed he is privately consulting on the changes he's planning to make to Section 18C," Mr Dreyfus said.
"There is no clearer message than 150 community organisations from across Australia calling on the Government to ensure that the long-standing protections in Australian law against racial hatred are maintained.
"The 150 organisations who have signed this open letter to the Attorney-General represent groups from across of our community, such as the Australian Lawyers Alliance, Australian Council of Trade Unions, Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia, Fitzroy Legal Service, Uniting Church and YWCA.
"It is increasingly apparent that the only people who support the repeal of the racial hatred protections in Section 18C are Andrew Bolt and Senator Brandis."
"Since 1995, Australians have been protected from the worst examples of hate speech through these laws against racial vilification," Senator Singh said.
"Senator Brandis says he is worried about free speech, but maybe he should try listening to the communities who are worried about hate speech.
"The repeal of Section 18C would not offer a stirring defence on intellectual freedom - it would give licence to hate speech of the worst kind.
"Any changes to Section 18C would open the door to racism in our proud multicultural country and leave ethnic communities without legal protection."
"Instead of hiding behind the excuse of private consultation, Senator Brandis needs to come clean with Australians about what his proposed changes are," Mr Dreyfus said.
"Having promised amendment to the Racial Discrimination Act as his first priority as Attorney-General, Senator Brandis should stop working in secret and be honest with the Australian community about what changes he is planning."
TUESDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2013
