George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I have not actually read Mr Berg's remarks, but I do know Mr Berg. I know him to be a person—like those of us on this side of the chamber—who understands that, in a free country, the way to deal with social problems is not through political censorship. Senator Singh, I accept your good faith on this issue. I understand that you are as profoundly committed to opposing racism as every other member of this chamber. But the best way to deal with a social problem is to focus on the core vice—that is, racial vilification—which our amendments do, for the first time, and not try to deal with it through political censorship, which is the way section 18C has operated hitherto.