Minorities unite to save 18C
RELIGIOUS and ethnic groups, including the Jewish community, have formally unified against plans by Attorney-General George Brandis to introduce legislation amending the Racial Discrimination Act early next year.
RELIGIOUS and ethnic groups, including the Jewish community, have formally unified against plans by Attorney-General George Brandis (pictured) to introduce legislation amending the Racial Discrimination Act early next year.
Senator Brandis told The AJN this week that changing the act would “strengthen freedom of speech in Australia”.
The Attorney-General said: “One of my key priorities as Attorney-General is to rebalance the human rights debate in Australia.”
Section 18C of the legislation, which outlaws public acts “reasonably likely … to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate”, has long been viewed by the Coalition as impeding free speech.
But Brandis said he “will be consulting with stakeholders and interested parties, including leaders of the Jewish community, before introducing the legislation to Parliament”.
Meanwhile, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) joined six other ethnic and religious community organisations – representing the Arab, Greek, Chinese, Lebanese and Armenian communities, as well as Muslim women – opposed to the changes. The organisations jointly stated: “Freedom of speech is fundamental to our liberal democratic society … The Racial Discrimination Act strikes a careful balance between freedom of expression and freedom from racial vilification.”
ECAJ executive director Peter Wertheim welcomed the show of unity and the Attorney-General’s assurance that he will consult before making changes. “I cannot recall any other issue on which there has been such unity of purpose and strength of feeling across such a diverse group of communities. The issue is not simply of concern to ethnic communities. It goes to the heart of Australia’s identity as both a robust democracy and a successful multicultural society.
“It is also a good sign that the Attorney-General is now using the language of amendment rather than repeal”, he added.
Wertheim said Section 18C has been indispensable in securing landmark judgments, such as the 2002 Federal Court of Australia order against Holocaust denier Fredrick Toben to remove offensive material from his website.
The act has also been a mechanism for conciliation, as in this year’s talks between the ECAJ and Facebook over hosting anti-Semitic content, which was taken down afterwards.
The ECAJ’s bid to keep the Racial Discrimination Act intact is supported by All Together Now, a group endorsing the National Anti-Racism Strategy. Wertheim signed the group’s online petition against repealing 18C, and stated on its web page that its repeal “would send a signal by government that our society is prepared to tolerate racism. That would be disastrous for Australia.”
Meanwhile federal member for Melbourne Ports Michael Danby spoke about the decision to repeal 18C in Parliament on Monday. He cited successful actions against Toben, Nazi apologist Olga Scully and others, which he said would have been impossible if not for the law.
PETER KOHN
Executive Council of Australian Jewry executive director Peter Wertheim.
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