28th May 2014
Representatives of the Indigenous, Greek, Jewish, Chinese, Arab and Korean communities met on Monday and Tuesday with more than 80 members of the federal parliament from the Coalition, Labor, the Greens and Independents to express their strong opposition to the government’s plans to weaken the existing Federal law against racial vilification.


L-R: Tony Pang (Chinese Australian Services), Dr Ramzi Barnouti (Arab Council of Australia),
Peter Wertheim (Executive Council of Australian Jewry), the Hon Philip Ruddock MP,
George Vellis (Australian Hellenic Council), Patrick Voon (Chinese Australian Forum),
Kirstie Parker (Co-Chair, National Congress of First Peoples of Australia),
Luke Song (Korean Society of Sydney)

“We were pleasantly surprised by the statements of support we received across the party political divide in favour of leaving the existing law as it is”, said the Executive Director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Peter Wertheim.
“If anything, the opposition that was expressed to the government’s proposals was even stronger than we had heard previously. Most of the Coalition MP’s we met with expressed disapproval of the government’s exposure draft to change the legislation, and voiced deep misgivings about the government’s entire approach to the issue.”
It is understood that the government received more than 5,300 submissions from the public in response to its exposure draft, almost all of which were strongly critical of it.
“With the exception of any submissions that were made in confidence, all of these submissions should be made available to the public on the Attorney General’s website in the interests of having an informed and open debate,” Wertheim concluded.
The meetings between community representatives and MP’s coincided with public statements on Tuesday by eminent Australians, Pat Dodson and Adam Goodes, which also urged the Federal government to reconsider its plans to amend the existing anti-vilification law.

With Labor Members of Parliament


With ALP leader Bill Shorten, Labor front-benchers, Michelle Rowlands,
Tanya Plibersek and Mark Dreyfus, and Independent Senator Nick Xenophon

For further information:
Peter Wertheim AM | Executive Director
phone: 02 8353 8500 | m: 0408 160 904 | fax 02 9361 5888
e: pwertheim@ecaj.org.au | www.ecaj.org.au

Click here for the ECAJ’s Submission on the Freedom of Speech (Repeal of s.18C) Bill 2014 (Exposure Draft).

14th April 2014
Eight minute audio of interview by Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association regarding proposed changes to RDA:
Responding to Carr’s comments on “the Melbourne Israel lobby” on ABC News radio at:
http://caama.com.au/jewish-community-walks-alongside-the-mob

14th April 2014
Broadcast: 10th April 2014
A number of ethnic communities have met together to discuss their opposition to the proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act. The group represents Jewish, Arab, Indigenous, Chinese, Korean, Armenian and Greek communities. Two of the representatives, Peter Wertheim from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and Randa Kattan from Arab Council Australia joined 702 Drive’s Emma Alberici.
Listen to the interview here:
http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2014/04/the-united-nations-of-australia.html

14th April 2014
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 10th April 2014
Reporter: Kerry Brewster
Leaders of many ethnic communities have joined forces to lobby against the changes to the Racial Discrimination Act proposed by Senator George Brandis.
Can be viewed from here:
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2014/s3983146.htm

25th March 2014
The President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Robert Goot AM SC, today issued the following statement:
“The ECAJ regards the Exposure Draft of the repeal of ss18B, C, D and E of the Racial Discrimination Act, released by the Attorney General today, as deeply flawed.
The Government proposal in effect rips up key protections to groups within Australian society which have operated successfully for almost 20 years and which have contributed in no small measure to the building and maintaining of an harmonious Australian society.
Whilst the substantial weakening of s18C by removing “humiliate”, “offend” and “insult” and by severely limiting protection to vilification and intimidation and substantially narrowly defining those terms (unlike their ordinary meanings), to mean respectively “to incite hatred” or “to cause fear of physical harm”, is alarming enough, the inclusion of sub-section (4), will have the effect of removing most, if not all of, the protection, inadequate though it is, in sub-section (1).
Sub-section (4) provides that the entire section will not apply to
“…words, sounds, images written, spoken, broadcast or otherwise communicated in the course of participating in the public discussion of any political, social, cultural, religious, artistic, academic or scientific matter”.
Further and equally alarming, the existing qualifications to s18C contained in s18D which were protective of free speech, by not rendering unlawful anything said or done “reasonably and in good faith”, have been removed entirely.
Racial bigotry is wrong and harmful to both the people it targets and to the cohesiveness of society as a whole. This legislation gives the green light to unleashing racial hate speech in Australia, no matter how unreasonable and lacking in good faith.
It is hard to envisage any conduct that will be caught by this emasculated legislation. Certainly, it is unlikely that any of the cases which the ECAJ has successfully brought under s18C over the years, could have been instituted, under this proposed legislative regime.
The ECAJ will be making submissions to the Government on the proposed reforms.”
For information:
Robert M Goot AM SC: 0411 654 625
Peter Wertheim AM: 0408 160 904