Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. When was the Attorney-General first informed of the Prime Minister's decision to dump his signature 'rights to be bigots' reform to section 18C?

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

Senator Singh, the Prime Minister announced that decision, if my memory serves me correctly, on 5 August following a meeting of cabinet which made that decision on that day.

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to the Attorney-General's interview on Sky News less than 24 hours before the government's backdown, where the Attorney-General said, 'We don't need section 18C.' Can the Attorney-General confirm that he was only told the Prime Minister would roll him on the morning of the joint press conference, and is this the orthodox cabinet process the senator previously referred to?

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

Indeed, Senator Singh, it is a very orthodox cabinet process for the cabinet to arrive at decisions and for those decisions to be announced. The decision was made on 5 August and the decision was announced later that day.

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Does the Attorney-General support retaining section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act in its current form or does he stand by his statement that people do have a right to be bigots?

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

The Prime Minister announced, following a decision of the cabinet on 5 August, that the government's proposal to change section 18C had been taken off the table. That is the position of the government.