Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to take note of the answers given by Senator George Brandis, the Attorney-General. What can I say other than wow? How extraordinary to have this legislation announced on Harmony Day. It is a watering down of the antidiscrimination and antiracism laws that have well served our nation. It is also an incredible example of our dysfunctional and divided government. The Prime Minister and the Attorney-General have reassured this parliament numerous times that there would be no changes to section 18C. We have here a government that is giving in to not only the far Right wing of the Liberal Party but also to One Nation.

This week a friend of mine, Jesse Fleay, spoke of our Prime Minister and wrote on Facebook:

Imagine spending your entire political career posing as a progressive pinup boy and alternative leader of the Liberal Party only to get the top job and operate as the most conservative leader in Liberal Party history, for the simple reason that will follow Malcolm Turnbull to the tomb for the simple reason that you have no courage to stand up to your own party.

Time and time again we have had the likes of Senator Brandis and our Prime Minister reassuring the Australian nation that they will stand up for decent Australian values and that they will stand up against racism and vilification in our country, only to announce on Harmony Day this dramatic change in the law. This demonstrates that the Australian people cannot trust a word that this government says.

As Senator Dastyari pointed out in his question, on 16 occasions the Prime Minister ruled out changes to the Racial Discrimination Act—16 times. He also pointed out that Peta Credlin said that the most vociferous person in the coalition against 18C was Malcolm Turnbull. I wonder when the PM decided to join the pests seeking changes to 18C. She said, 'I too wonder when the PM decided to join the pests seeking to change it.' But again we see Malcolm Turnbull has changed his mind. Again he and Senator Brandis stood in front of the media and told us of their intentions to water down protections against hate speech in our country.

The incredible thing is—and we have seen Senator Brandis do this numerous times in this place—that he cannot even admit the backflip. There are examples after examples of him not being able to recall something relating to serious issues in this place. We hear this day in and day out. Is it yet another example of Senator Brandis not being up-to-date with what is in the media on any given day? It is simply absurd that time and time again the highest law officer in our nation is not up-to-date with matters in his portfolio and, as we are debating, does not give adequate answers to this place.

I spoke in this chamber some six months ago seeking reassurances from Senator Brandis and from the Prime Minister that they would not give in to the conservative backbench of the Liberal Party and make changes to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. How desperately badly have we been let down. The fact that they will not stand up for mainstream values is a terrible sign of the dysfunction and division in this government. They will not do things like implement marriage equality. They will not stand up for the current 18C protections. They will not get on with creating jobs and apprenticeships. Instead, they are absolutely besotted by the backroom, right wing— (Time expired)