Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Hansard source

This week, the Prime Minister faces a major test: does he stand on the side of bigots or on the side of multicultural Australia? If the government proposes any change to section 18C, no matter how innocuous it looks, it will mean one thing: a green light for racist hate speech in Australia.

In August last year, this is what the Prime Minister said about section 18C in a media interview:

… it is not going to create an extra job. It is not going to ensure that your listeners are going to get to work or get to school, or get around their business sooner. It’s not going to build an extra road.

Now, the Prime Minister has given in to his right-wing masters, and changes are being considered. It is particularly galling that the government wants to promote racist hate speech in the same week as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Make no mistake, the debate about section 18C has nothing to do with free speech. The government only argues for free speech when it suits them. Just ask the minister for immigration. He thinks that there should be free speech for racists but not for CEOs who are advocating for marriage equality. The Prime Minister must rule out right now any weakening of Australia's protection against racist hate speech.

See this speech in context