Aborigines will be disadvantaged if Abbott weakens racial discrimination laws

Tony Abbott faces challenge over dilution of racial discrimination laws SMH,Ross Peake 3 Mach 14 Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner will challenge Tony Abbott for the first time on Monday over the Prime Minister’s push to water down racial vilification laws.

Tim Soutphommasane’s intervention in the debate will come in a speech he will deliver at the Australian National University, where he will warn the proposed change may ”licence racial hatred”………..Dr Soutphommasane was appointed by the Labor government in July to oversee the Racial Discrimination Act.

The controversial section is 18C which makes it unlawful to do something reasonably likely ”to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” someone on racial grounds.

Conservative commentator Andrew Bolt fell foul of this section in 2011 after accusing several fair-skinned Aborigines of identifying as indigenous to claim benefits only open to Aboriginal people.

In 2012 Mr Abbott said if the Coalition won the election he would repeal section 18C ”in its current form”. Attorney-General George Brandis has pledged to amend this section.http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-faces-challenge-over-dilution-of-racial-discrimination-laws-20140302-33u29.html