Tony Abbott’s leadership has been so undermined that he cannot keep his own Senators from crossing the floor to support Senator Day’s Bill to remove protections against racist hate speech.

In the face of widespread community opposition to changes to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, the Government dropped their proposed changes last year.

Despite Tony Abbott and Senator Brandis’s assurances that any watering down of Section 18C is off the table there are reports today Government Senators will cross the floor to support Senator Day’s Bill.

This challenge to Tony Abbott’s word can only be seen as an attempt to head off a change of Liberal leadership. 

If the Prime Minister was prepared to make a deal on submarines with South Australian Senators to save his job, who is to say he won’t use Section 18C as a further bargaining chip?

Section 18C has served Australians well for almost 20 years and no case has been made to change the legislation.

Labor will fight any move to weaken protections against racist hate speech.

FRIDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2015