NSW Liberal Member for Hughes, Craig Kelly has today used a bipartisan motion celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Racial Discrimination Act to continue the push to repeal Section 18C of the Act.
Mr Kelly suggested that Section 18C of the Act amounted to “censorship” and that the key prohibitions of “offend and insult go too far.”
His comments show that the push to repeal Section 18C is still alive and well inside the Liberal Party.
Communities around Australia have made their views clear. Section 18C has served Australians well for almost 20 years and should not be watered down.
Now, more than ever, we need community harmony – every politician has a responsibility to promote inclusion and respect.
The Coalition should join with Labor and rule out supporting the divisive and damaging legislation currently before the Senate that seeks to weaken protections against racist hate speech.
If Tony Abbott is so committed to multiculturalism and Section 18C, he should repudiate Mr Kelly’s call to change the law and the recent anti-multicultural rant of Nationals MP, George Christensen.
Labor will fight any move to weaken protections against racist hate speech and the Abbott Government must rule out any support for changes to Section 18C.
MONDAY, 22 JUNE 2015
