Aussies Have a Right To Be Bigots Says Australian Attorney General

[Buddhas Hand]

People have a right to be bigots, says Brandis

• LAUREN WILSON
• The Australian
• March 25, 2014 12:00AM

Attorney-General, George Brandis, yesterday robustly defended the right of Australians “to be bigots”, prompting cries from Labor that he has given racism the green-light.

Tony Abbott was forced to defend his Attorney-General, agreeing that existing racial discrimination laws needed to change, but saying he wanted Australia to remain, “a free, fair and tolerant society where bigotry and racism have no place”.

Under questioning in the Senate from the first female federal indigenous MP Nova Peris, Senator Brandis defended the Coalition’s plan to change the Racial Discrimination Act, even if it led to bigotry. “People do have a right to be bigots, you know,” Senator Brandis told the parliament.

“In a free country, people do have rights to say things that other people find insulting or offensive or bigoted.”

The Prime Minister said the Coalition remained committed to its pre-election promise to repeal section 18C of the RDA “in its current form”.

“Our freedom and our democracy fundamentally depend upon the right to free speech,” Mr Abbott said. “Sometimes free speech is something the people who listen to it do not like.”

Senator Peris last night said Senator Brandis’s remarks were proof the Coalition’s planned changes to the act would allow for “unabated bigotry”.

“The Attorney-General’s comments are disgusting; they are a green-light to racism and all other sorts of hate speech,” she said.

“What sort of message does this send to young Australians at a time when we are trying to stop bullying?”

Human rights commissioner Tim Wilson, who was appointed by Senator Brandis to safeguard freedom of speech, also denounced bigotry. “Bigotry may be lawful, but it is not acceptable.”

He said the debate about amending the RDA was “not about the acceptability of bigotry, it is about the legal limits of free speech”.

Bill Shorten used a speech to the Australian Migration and Settlement Awards to argue that repealing the current act “risks providing a foothold for divisive, hateful abuse masquerading as free speech”.

“No one has a right to bigotry, and racism has no place in the modern Australia,” the Opposition Leader told the dinner.

Senator Brandis said section 18C of the act - which makes it unlawful to publicly “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” a person, and was used against News Corp Australia columnist Andrew Bolt - deals with the problem of racial vilification “in the wrong way”, through political censorship.

Attacking Labor Senate leader Penny Wong, Senator Brandis said: “A lot of the things I have heard you say in this chamber over the years are, to my way of thinking, extraordinarily bigoted, and extraordinarily ignorant, but I would defend your right to say things that I consider to be bigoted and ignorant - that is what freedom of speech means.”

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said the Coalition was not listening to community groups that argued strongly against the watering down of the legal protections against racism.

I do not bring up Australian politics on this board but in this case i really want to know what you guys think about what our attorney general said and the changes he wants to make to our racial discrimination laws.

Do you think it is alright to be a bigot , to racially vilify someone in the name of free speech ?

[Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw]

People have a right to be bigots, says Brandis

• LAUREN WILSON
• The Australian
• March 25, 2014 12:00AM

Attorney-General, George Brandis, yesterday robustly defended the right of Australians “to be bigots”, prompting cries from Labor that he has given racism the green-light.

Tony Abbott was forced to defend his Attorney-General, agreeing that existing racial discrimination laws needed to change, but saying he wanted Australia to remain, “a free, fair and tolerant society where bigotry and racism have no place”.

Under questioning in the Senate from the first female federal indigenous MP Nova Peris, Senator Brandis defended the Coalition’s plan to change the Racial Discrimination Act, even if it led to bigotry. “People do have a right to be bigots, you know,” Senator Brandis told the parliament.

“In a free country, people do have rights to say things that other people find insulting or offensive or bigoted.”

The Prime Minister said the Coalition remained committed to its pre-election promise to repeal section 18C of the RDA “in its current form”.

“Our freedom and our democracy fundamentally depend upon the right to free speech,” Mr Abbott said. “Sometimes free speech is something the people who listen to it do not like.”

Senator Peris last night said Senator Brandis’s remarks were proof the Coalition’s planned changes to the act would allow for “unabated bigotry”.

“The Attorney-General’s comments are disgusting; they are a green-light to racism and all other sorts of hate speech,” she said.

“What sort of message does this send to young Australians at a time when we are trying to stop bullying?”

Human rights commissioner Tim Wilson, who was appointed by Senator Brandis to safeguard freedom of speech, also denounced bigotry. “Bigotry may be lawful, but it is not acceptable.”

He said the debate about amending the RDA was “not about the acceptability of bigotry, it is about the legal limits of free speech”.

Bill Shorten used a speech to the Australian Migration and Settlement Awards to argue that repealing the current act “risks providing a foothold for divisive, hateful abuse masquerading as free speech”.

“No one has a right to bigotry, and racism has no place in the modern Australia,” the Opposition Leader told the dinner.

Senator Brandis said section 18C of the act - which makes it unlawful to publicly “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” a person, and was used against News Corp Australia columnist Andrew Bolt - deals with the problem of racial vilification “in the wrong way”, through political censorship.

Attacking Labor Senate leader Penny Wong, Senator Brandis said: “A lot of the things I have heard you say in this chamber over the years are, to my way of thinking, extraordinarily bigoted, and extraordinarily ignorant, but I would defend your right to say things that I consider to be bigoted and ignorant - that is what freedom of speech means.”

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said the Coalition was not listening to community groups that argued strongly against the watering down of the legal protections against racism.

I do not bring up Australian politics on this board but in this case i really want to know what you guys think about what our attorney general said and the changes he wants to make to our racial discrimination laws.

Do you think it is alright to be a bigot , to racially vilify someone in the name of free speech ?

I'm going to play the isolationist and not talk about the social politics of a nation I have no background or interest in. I do know that Australia is a lot more open to racism, to the point where news anchors openly criticize the natives for making land claims (this might've just been an Aussie Fox News or something).

For all its shortcomings, Canada has okay laws in place which don't tolerate racial bigotry. So for your last question, no.

[canuktravella]

When i backpacked there i met the most racist and douchey people ive ever met. The guys are straight up a holes

[drummer4now]

Who cares ozzies are sheep shaggers When i backpacked there i met the most racist and douchey people ive ever met. The guys are straight up a holes

Thanks for categorizing every Aussie as racist...

[BiginJapan]

Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, but the whities have no right to get upset if someone of another color calls them out.

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

I'm going to play the isolationist and not talk about the social politics of a nation I have no background or interest in. I do know that Australia is a lot more open to racism, to the point where news anchors openly criticize the natives for making land claims (this might've just been an Aussie Fox News or something).

For all its shortcomings, Canada has okay laws in place which don't tolerate racial bigotry. So for your last question, no.

I would imagine many Natives across the country would highly disagree with this statement. The history of abuse on indigenous peoples is pretty much the same world wide. Some countries just cover it up better than others.

To answer Buddah.......I say no F..kin' way ! If people are willing to twist freedom of speech as justification to be openly racist then this world is far worse off than I thought

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

Who cares ozzies are sheep shaggers When i backpacked there i met the most racist and douchey people ive ever met. The guys are straight up a holes

Pot calling the kettle black ? Sounds like you fit in perfectly with those racist pukes.

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, but the whities have no right to get upset if someone of another color calls them out.

I fully agree and I am euro trash white lol. Whitey's have oppressed, raped and pillaged all the cultures of the world, pay back is gonna be a b..ch

[canuktravella]

Bondii beach is just english and irish

[canuktravella]

Not sure if you know what racism means it means a race not a nation. In general aussies guys are absolute pricks thats why the gurls there love foreigners.

[Buddhas Hand]

Pot calling the kettle black ? Sounds like you fit in perfectly with those racist pukes.

Even though he is being offensive in the way puts point across he is kinda right , there are a lot of rascists in Aus and they seem to be coming out of the closet.

[canuktravella]

Ya when i was in brisbane i saw 7 white guys pushing and 3were punching the native guy, i just called the cops didnt wanna get my ass kicked not sure if cops would have stopped them tho

[canuktravella]

Not sure what native australians are called south pacific islanders maybe i dunno

[etsen3]

So many people are secretly racist and say things with racial undertones, and then deny being racist. I honestly prefer when racist people are blunt about their views. One politician in the States called slavery "a blessing in disguise" for black people. At least when someone says something outrageous like that, people are more likely to not vote for him.

[NightHawkSniper]

Ho ho ho

[Lancaster]

I don't care if you're the most racist person in the world, to a point where you won't even cross the street to piss on me if I was fire.... as long as your actions or inaction doesn't violate humans rights, chartered values, etc., I could care less.

Government should not be trying to be the Thought Police. Fighting racism, bullying, bigotry, etc... it should be fought through collective efforts of people and society... not by government or by the courts.

[Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw]

I would imagine many Natives across the country would highly disagree with this statement. The history of abuse on indigenous peoples is pretty much the same world wide. Some countries just cover it up better than others.

To answer Buddah.......I say no F..kin' way ! If people are willing to twist freedom of speech as justification to be openly racist then this world is far worse off than I thought

I agree with everything you said, and I'm going off feel here, but I think there is very little space in Australia to talk about these kinds of things.

[Offensive Threat]

"People have a right to be bigots" Of course they do. Canadians have that right as well. What does Freedom of speech mean to you if you arent willing to support someones right to say things you dont like? IF you arent willing to support their rights then you arent for freedom of speech you are just for your own personal version of censorship.

People are allowed to be racist. They are allowed to be bigots and jerk offs. They are allowed to eat only crappy fast food and balloon up to 600 lbs and die of a heart attack at 42 if they want to. Freedom isnt always pretty.

[Monteeun]

"People have a right to be bigots" Of course they do. Canadians have that right as well. What does Freedom of speech mean to you if you arent willing to support someones right to say things you dont like? IF you arent willing to support their rights then you arent for freedom of speech you are just for your own personal version of censorship.

People are allowed to be racist. They are allowed to be bigots and jerk offs. They are allowed to eat only crappy fast food and balloon up to 600 lbs and die of a heart attack at 42 if they want to. Freedom isnt always pretty.

Well i agree with that to a certain degree...first thing first, yes, they can be bigots. That's fine, but don't cry about it when someone retaliates. Accordingly of course.

Two, freedom of speech has limits. Especially if it goes to far as creating harm or disturbance. For example like, yelling fire in a crowded theatre. If someone has a better example...please.

[Offensive Threat]

Well i agree with that to a certain degree...first thing first, yes, they can be bigots. That's fine, but don't cry about it when someone retaliates. Accordingly of course.

Two, freedom of speech has limits. Especially if it goes to far as creating harm or disturbance. For example like, yelling fire in a crowded theatre. If someone has a better example...please.

Yes, when you publicly exercise your freedom of speech you should expect others to exercise theirs to respond, criticize, debate etc. There are always limits to free speech, as you said, creating harm but also slander, hate speech, obscenities, defamation, libel and others.

In Canada Free speech is protected by law but the protection is not absolute. The Gov is allowed to limit them as long as the limits are reasonable and justified. "reasonable and justified" are very vague words. The crown needs to look at fleshing out the exact wording of the law.

There are some who have stated that you should be allowed to yell FIRE in a crowded theater but be responsible for the results. I dont agree with that position but like that it exists.