MP gives hate speech a verbal bashing

ISAACS MP Mark Dreyfus has slammed calls to resuscitate the Federal Government’s abandoned attempt to soften bans on “racist hate speech”.
Mr Dreyfus said moves by four senators, including Family First’s Bob Day and Liberal backbencher Cory Bernardi, to revive the proposed removal of section 18C from the Racial Discrimination Act were “hugely disappointing”.
The section states it is illegal to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate a person or group because of their race, colour or national or ethnic origin.
“As a community we thought we had put an end to this movement to allow racist hate speech.
“It is now clear that there are members of the Abbott government who still believe that the rights of racists and bigots are more important than the right of all Australians to live without fear of being abused or vilified because of their ethnic background.”
The senators introduced a bill to remove the words “insult” and “offend” from section 18C, which was debated in the Senate last week.
Mr Bernardi told the Senate it “defies common sense for it to be illegal to make statements that are likely to insult or offend an individual or a group”.
– Cam Lucadou-Wells