Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Let's be up-front: the current meaning is settled. Justice Kiefel made that clear in the Cairns Post case. Also, as we heard from Iain Anderson, the Deputy Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, in evidence to the inquiry, any changes in the wording will cause more uncertainty and more litigation. As the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law said,

The rolling back of a law sends a message, as does the passage of one. It can send the message that it is acceptable to offend and insult another person on the basis of their race.

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