NSW Labor has called on the Liberal Party to dump its plans to wind back anti-bigotry and race hate laws with revelations today that the changes are overwhelmingly opposed by the Australian public, said NSW Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Communities.
According to today’s Nielsen poll, 88 per cent of Australians disagree that it should be “lawful to offend, insult or humiliate on the basis of race”, said Zangari.
Yet this is what would occur if the Liberal Party goes ahead and repeals Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
A massive majority also disagree with Attorney General George Brandis’ statement that “people have a right to be bigots, you know.”
“The Australian public has spoken to the entire Liberal Party with one voice – do not wind back our racial discrimination laws,” Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Communities Guy Zangari said today.
“It is not just multicultural communities who are upset and fearful about these changes – there is opposition right across the spectrum.
“People cannot understand why the Liberal Government would tamper with laws that are a pillar of our multicultural society – and give the green light to bigotry and hate speech.”
Mr Zangari added that Premier Barry O’Farrell and Minister Victor Dominello have been too slow to stand up to their Liberal colleagues in Canberra.
The NSW Government is yet to say whether it will oppose the laws.
This puts it embarrassingly at odds with its own Chair of the Community Relations Commission, Vic Alhadeff.
Mr Alhadeff spoke movingly again the changes at last Thursday’s Premier’s Harmony Dinner – an event at which the Premier was absent.
“Barry O’Farrell seems to be dodging multicultural communities while Minister Victor Dominello continues to waffle instead of take a principled stand,” Mr Zangari said.
“For Mr Dominello to tell communities that he’ll let them know of the NSW Government’s position in due course is a complete cop-out.
“What the Liberal Party is doing is wrong – and Barry O’Farrell and Victor Dominello need to say so loudly and clearly.”