Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I plan to make just a relatively brief contribution to this debate. It is a welcome opportunity, but I think enough has been said by others in the public domain and, indeed, in this debate on the Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2017. There have been many views expressed throughout the debate, both publicly and here in parliament. I guess that is the beauty of what we are debating here—it is about the ability to express one's views freely without being impeded unnecessarily. Free speech is a wonderful thing and it is a cornerstone of our democracy. Many have said it and I am a firm believer in it. It is a quality that we have in this country. Freedom of speech is a freedom we have in this country that many others around the world envy because they do not have it. It is part of what makes this country so strong, in my view.

I want to take issue, though, with a few things that have been said during the debate. The point has been made that this is not an important issue. Prior to the debate coming on this week, a number of senators and members in the other place indicated that they felt that this issue was not important. I, fundamentally, reject that: I think it is an important issue, and so do many other people in the community—those who support it and those who are against it. It is an important issue to debate and, indeed, to send the message that this is not an important issue, I think, is a bad one. It is a message we are sending to the QUT students. It is a message we are sending to Bill Leak's family. To tell them that the plight of their suffering through the long-drawn out process that they have been subjected to is not important, I think, is a terrible message to send.

So it is important, but it is an issue that is as important as the other issues that we have been dealing with. We have been looking at issues this week like company tax reform, tax breaks for small business to encourage investment. We had childcare reform last week. We have been dealing with issues of health; education; foreign policy; jobs and employment; energy security, and penalty rates—all these things have been debated in this place. What has annoyed me is that those people, who have been claiming that this issue is not important, have been trying to characterise this debate as the only thing on the government's agenda, and that is just not true. It is one of many things that have been debated and one of many things that people in our party room have been indicating they would like to discuss. I am glad we are doing that, along with all the other things that we are going to be spending a lot of hours tonight and, potentially, tomorrow debating. The government can walk and chew gum, and just to prove that—

Senator Cameron interjecting—

We can walk and chew gum, Senator Cameron, and I appreciate your contributions all the time. However, you know, we passed 12 bills through the Senate on Monday alone and, since the election, I am advised we have passed 83 bills. So to suggest that we cannot do anything—