Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. For almost 20 years, Section 18(c) of the Racial Discrimination Act has protected the Australian community from the divisive and destructive effects of racially motivated hate speech while preserving freedom of speech. Why is the Prime Minister weakening decades of protections against racial hate speech? Does the Prime Minister agree with the Attorney-General, who said today in the Senate: 'People do have a right to be bigots'?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, this government is determined to try to ensure that Australia remains a free, fair and tolerant society where bigotry and racism have no place. But we also want this country to be a nation where freedom of speech is enjoyed.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left! The question has been asked. The Prime Minister has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sometimes free speech will be speech which upsets people and which offends people. It is in the nature of free speech that sometimes some people will not like it. I do not like what members opposite say quite a lot, but I fully accept their right to say it.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I wish to raise a point of order on relevance.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer is entirely within the confines of the question.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I have a point of order.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have just raised a point of order on relevance. The answer is relevant.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I have told you what standing order it is under; I want to raise what the point is. It is clearly irrelevant for the Prime Minister to be defending comments of bigotry in this chamber. This question is about the Attorney defending bigotry.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Watson will resume his seat. He knows perfectly well that he may not use the standing orders for debate.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, our freedom and our democracy fundamentally depend upon the right to free speech. Sometimes free speech is something the people who listen to it do not like. That is the truth. This government will do exactly what we said we would do, pre-election. We will do in government exactly what we committed to in opposition. In opposition, before the election, we said that we would repeal section 18C in its current form. That is what we said we would do before the election and that, as the Australian people would expect, is exactly what we are doing after the election. This is a government which keeps its commitments. This is a clear commitment that we made.