MEDIA RELEASE: LIBERAL PARTY CONTINUES RACE HATE RHETORIC

THE HON TONY BURKE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURAL AUSTRALIA
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR WATSON

THE HON. MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
MEMBER FOR ISAACS

LIBERAL PARTY CONTINUES RACE HATE RHETORIC

Today a Liberal Senator has made clear that the Liberal Party will continue its fight to allow more racist hate speech in Australia.

AMANDA STOKER: I think 18C has got to go. I think 18C is a drag on our society.

SKY NEWS, MONDAY, 25 JUNE 2018

Malcolm Turnbull continues to be held hostage by the far right of his own party. The Prime Minister must show authority and leadership on this extremely important issue.

This is just another attack by the Liberal Party to water down protections against racist hate speech. In 2016 Liberal Senator Anne Ruston called for race hate laws to be repealed. In 2014 Liberal Senator George Brandis said ‘people do have a right to be bigots’.

It is clear that section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act is an obsession of the Liberal Party that they refuse to give up – despite trying twice to abolish it. Senator Stoker has clearly not learned the lessons of the past.

Labor is proud of Australia’s multicultural society, and believes every Australian deserves the right to live free from racial and ethnic vilification. Modern Australia and multicultural Australia are the same thing. We will continue to fight for important protections against racial hate speech in Australia – we have done it twice now and won, and we will do it again if necessary.

Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act has served Australia well for more than two decades. The only outcome from repealing section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act will be more hate speech. This rhetoric is unacceptable.

Malcolm Turnbull must distance himself from these comments and restate the Government’s position on 18C.

MONDAY, 25 JUNE 2018