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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Today the Attorney-General announced that the Abbott government wants to give a green light to bigotry in Australia. Is it the intention of the government to allow a person to be racially insulted and offended at a community event and have no recourse?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, a point of order: I regard that as a personally offensive question, as I am sure all on this side of the House do. The idea that anyone on this side of the House would condone bigotry is a disgraceful slur, and I would demand that the member withdraw the assertion and reword the question to be more appropriate in the parliament of Australia.

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

It would be better if we were able to accept what the Leader of the House has just put to the parliament. But what was said in the Senate yesterday and endorsed here by the Prime Minister yesterday—

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

This is now going to argument.

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

No, Madam Speaker.

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

Yes, Manager of Opposition Business, it is going to argument. You will resume your seat. The question did have an offensive nature about it, but I will let it stand.

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

I accept that this is a difficult issue; I accept that it is an issue that arouses strong passions in our community, on both sides. And I think it should be treated with seriousness and with balance in this parliament. What the government is attempting to do—as carefully, as collegially and as consultatively as we can—is to get the balance right.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs will desist.

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

What we want to do is to maintain the red light for bigotry—to use the metaphor of the member who asked the question—but we want to remove the amber light for free speech.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs will desist, or leave—one or the other.

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

We want to remove the amber light for free speech. That is what we are attempting to do. All of us deplore racism, we abhor bigotry. All of us in this country want to be our best selves. Australians at their best are a decent and welcoming people who are also a people who can engage in very robust free speech without fear of prosecution.