Summary
The Government today announced it would make changes to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 that purports to put reason, balance and objectivity back into any legal assessment of hate speech in Australia. The Prime Minister and the Attorney-General, Sen the Hon George Brandis QC, announced the changes to the press after gaining approval from the joint party room this morning. The Opposition, lead by Shadow Minister for Environment and Water and Manager of Opposition Business, the Hon Tony Burke MP, Shadow Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP, and Member for Moreton, Mr Graham Perrett MP, was quick to refute the reasoning behind the Government’s amendments. The Hon Tony Burke MP told reporters in Parliament House “… as if we’re meant to believe this is a strengthening of the law”.
The spirit and tenacity of Question Time improved after yesterday’s slumbering performance. The Opposition marched cohesively on the topic of changes to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, before using the latter parts of Question Time to bait the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, the Hon Scott Morrison MP.
1.Given the widespread media coverage and interest that any changes to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 will have for the Government, it was a curious tactical decision by the offices of the Prime Minister and Manager of Government Business, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, that no Government Dorothy Dixers were used on this topic. The Prime Minister, reflecting on the first question of the period from the Opposition Leader, said of section 18C “it has lost its credibility.”
2.Prominent Opposition backbencher and Member for Cowan, Dr Anne Aly MP, was given the rare opportunity to ask two separate questions, both of the Prime Minister and both regarding changes to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. While not unheard of, this is perhaps an indication the Opposition feels Aly’s personal history and cogent oration will be a strong weapon as they prosecute the ‘no’ case to these changes.
3.Previously Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security, the Hon Dan Tehan MP, used Question Time to link energy security to national security with revelations some defence instruments were asked to shed power to spare the electricity grid in February. The Government today used the Minister for Health and Sport, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, to link the importance of energy security to health security in hospitals. The Minister was able to deftly justify the importance of energy security to our hospital network and how it should not compromise patient health in Australia.
4.The Opposition used a series of questions to the Prime Minister and the Treasurer to seek assurances that their commitment to taxation reform, namely the near $50b in cuts for small, medium and large business over the next decade, is still a priority. The Opposition hopes its fulgent tactic will help to characterise the Government as committed to tax cuts for ‘big business’ while at the same time standing idly by as penalty rates are reduced for workers.
1.The Prime Minister and the Attorney-General, Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, announced changes to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, notably to section 18C. A copy of a bill, which the Prime Minister took to the Government party room this morning, will amend the section to remove the words of “offend, insult and humiliate” in favour of the word “harass”. It will also introduce the “reasonable member of the Australian community” test as the objective standard by which section 18C will be judged.
2.Australia’s 27th Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard, has today been named the new Chair of leading mental health charity beyondblue and will take over from founder and former Victorian Premier, Jeff Kennett, at the end of June.
3.Fairfax today reports that NBN board member and former Telstra executive Mr Justin Milne is expected to be appointed the new Chair of the ABC by the Government later this week. Mr Milne will succeed former NSW Chief Justice, the Hon James Spigelman AC, QC, in the role when his five-year term officially expires at the end of the month.
4.Mike Nahan has been elected unopposed as the leader of the West Australian Liberal Party following the party’s heavy defeat to Mark McGowan’s Labor.
Today’s legislation focus included:
1.Treasury Laws Amendment (Combating Multinational Tax Avoidance) Bill 2017
