If the Federal Government waters down the Racial Discrimination Act, a Victorian Government led by Daniel Andrews will reinstate them, if Labor wins the November 29 state election this year.

“We live in a modern, multicultural society – we do not tolerate racist insults and we should not weaken our protections against discrimination,” declared Victorian Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews on Thursday in a media interview.

“Senator Brandis said ‘people have a right to be bigots’. Victorian Labor does not agree,” stated Mr Andrews.

Victorian Labor believes that the Federal Act allows for the anti-discrimination laws to be effectively revived under state legislation,
legislation, should the Aboott Government’s changes go ahead.

Specifically, the state opposition argues that Section 6A of the Race Discrimination Act says the Act does not override or limit state laws, and that legal action exploiting the difference between Federal and State Acts would be terminated.

In a letter to Attorney General George Brandis, Daniel Andrews strongly urges the Federal Government to reconsider any intention to repeal section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and amongst others makes the point that when the leaders of the nation send the message that it’s acceptable to racially vilify they risk fracturing the inclusive and tolerant country that so many have fought so hard to create and protect as he states.

The Victorian ALP leader concludes his submission to the Attorney General by saying “If elected a Victorian Labor Government will review Victoria’s anti-discrimination laws with the aim of shielding Victorians, to the extend possible, from any changes to Federal laws that remove rights and protections.”

“Labor will introduce state legislation to make it unlawful in Victoria to offend, insult or humiliate people because of their race or origin.

“We will do everything in our power to preserve Victoria as Australia’s multicultural capital and protect ordinary Victorians from acts of hatred,” said state Shadow Attorney General Martin Pakula.

Welcoming the announcement of her leader Victorian Shadow Minister for Community Services, Children Seniors and Ageing Jenny Mikakos stated to Neos Kosmos that “The Abbott Government wants to legalise racism by ripping up Australia’s anti-discrimination laws. I’m proud that an Andrews Labor Government will step in and defend our multicultural communities if this happens.”

Speaking to the media in response to the state oppositions announcement, Premier Denis Napthine reconfirmed on Thursday Victoria’s and NSW’s Governments strong opposition to the Federal Governments’ proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act and he stated that in Victoria we already have strong anti-discrimination laws supported by both sides of politics.

The proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act by the Attorney General George Brandis have been met with criticism nationally and internationally, and the Federal Attorney-General’s Department received more than 5,500 submissions on the proposed changes.

The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales, the Australian Hellenic Council, the Federation of Ethnic Communities’

Councils of Australia (FECCA) , Indigenous, Chinese, Arab, and Jewish Australians, the Greens, federal Labor, civil libertarians and others are all on public record opposing weakening the protections in place against racial vilification.

In its submission to the Attorney General’s Department, the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales said it opposed amendments that “would encourage those racist elements in the Australian community to voice their prejudices, their hatreds, without any recourse to those who are victims of such prejudices…”

In a letter to the Prime Minister Tony Abbott the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria stated that the laws that celebrate diversity and Australia’s ethnic heritage need to be protected.

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia said the government’s thinking failed to achieve a “reasonable balance between the protection from racial vilification and the protection of free speech”.

The Arab Council Australia (ACA) has called for the government to abandon its proposals, saying it was “horrified that vulnerable people will be further disenfranchised if the proposed changes were to be adopted”.

A Nielsen poll published in Fairfax newspapers in April found that 88 per cent of respondents believe it should be against the law to offend, insult or humiliate someone based on race.