Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate that, Deputy Speaker, and members of the government. In addition, the Multicultural Council of Tasmania has gathered 107 signatures calling on the government to retain the current hate speech protections in full so that there is not a rise in cyber racism and racial abuse, a rise many believe will occur if the existing protections are removed. I will be presenting those signatures directly to the Petitions Committee but would draw the House's attention to them now.

Finally, the mooted changes to 18C reflect poorly on the government and on the Prime Minister, who states that he wants to be 'the Prime Minister for Indigenous affairs', because such changes would remove a section that protects vulnerable Indigenous Australians.

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