George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

and protect one of the fundamental Australian values, the value of freedom of speech, at the same time, if we get the law right, which is what this government will do, guided by the advice of the Australian Law Reform Commission; informed by the views of the Australian Human Rights Commission itself; informed by the views of so many other leading Australians, like Jim Spigelman, like Warren Mundine, like George Williams, like Gary Johns, like David Marr; and like so many other opinion leaders in this country, right across the political spectrum from the left to the right, have said we ought to do. We know you are trying to play the electoral politics of this, Senator Dastyari—that is transparent for all to see. But what we are trying to do is to ensure that we have the best and strongest anti-racial-vilification laws in this country, including protection against racial harassment, while, at the same time, defending the Australian value of freedom of speech.