Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Attorney has me started on freedom of speech. As the committee was happy to let the Attorney divert into that, I will just make the obvious point that freedom of speech is not an unfettered right, and I think the Attorney has accepted that with his qualifications around genocide.

But I do want to place on the record that those who are advocating softening or weakening section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act in this country under the guise of being warriors to defend the right to freedom of speech are conspicuously silent on Australia's defamation laws and on the capacity of corporations to issue SLAPP suits, which are deliberately designed to stifle public debate in this country. They are conspicuously silent on section 42 of the Australian Border Force Act, which applies draconian restraints or constraints on freedom of speech on those who work in Australia's detention centre regime.

I can see you shifting in your chair—