Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. On Sky News last night Andrew Bolt was asked how many insults would constitute harassment under the Prime Minister's new laws which give licence to racist hate speech. Mr Bolt replied:

Let's say five.

Given the government has cited Andrew Bolt as a reason for watering down race hate protections, is it the intention of the government that Australians must be subject to five separate instances of racist abuse before it constitutes harassment?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lindsay will leave under 94(a).

The member for Lindsay then left the chamber.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My father-in-law was advised by a senior member, more than 50 years ago, to treat any question as a polite request for information. On that basis, I will advise the honourable member that, firstly, the bill specifically states that a single act can constitute harassment. That is the answer; it is in the bill. Secondly, as the honourable member would know—he is, after all, one of Her Majesty's counsel learned in the law—the law on sexual harassment, which is a considerable area of jurisprudence, establishes that a single act can constitute harassment for that area too. But it is expressly stated in the bill.