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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/mar/21/malcolm-turnbull-bill-shorten-liberals-parliament-racial-discrimination-act-politics-live
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| Labor grills Turnbull over weakening of race hate laws on Harmony Day – politics live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 5.28am GMT | |
| 05:28 | |
| Labor’s Malardirri McCarthy has taken issue with George Brandis’ statement that he does not believe Australians are racist. | |
| As a white man growing up in Petersham, attending private schools, I am sure you have never been denied access or service in a shop. | |
| You have never had taxis drive past, pretending not to see you. You have never received hateful letters and emails because of your race or the colour of your skin. | |
| I really wish I could believe there are not any racists in Australia. But certainly my personal experience and my family’s experience informs me of the reality that I live in this country. It is deeply unfortunate. | |
| 5.25am GMT | |
| 05:25 | |
| Social services minister Christian Porter on why harass needs to replace offend and insult and why the government believes it makes the Act stronger. | |
| The standard and clarity that you get from a word like ‘harassment’ is going to make it clearer from the very outset what sort of complaint is going to be properly sustainable, and that is very important, because what we have at the moment is complete lack of clarity as to what is the standard for a sustainable complaint, and indeed, what actually constitutes this formulation of words ‘offend, insult, humiliate’. | |
| This definitely makes it stronger because it makes it clearer, it makes it fairer and the system that we have at the moment in that formulation of words has become meaningless to the point of bringing the whole system into disrepute. | |
| 5.04am GMT | |
| 05:04 | |
| Paul Karp | |
| Liberal MP for North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman, has advocated compulsory voter identification for federal elections in the Coalition party room on Tuesday. | |
| Zimmerman told Guardian Australia it would be a “reasonably simple step to ensure the integrity of the voting system”. | |
| “It seems bizarre that you require more ID to get into a pub in Sydney than to determine the prime minister of Australia. It’s about time we ensured the possibility of multiple voting is precluded by this simple step.” | |
| He said there were 8,000 cases of suspected multiple voting referred to the Australian federal police at the 2013 election. But because the lack of resources to investigate and burden of evidence is so high, it was more important to prevent rather than punish multiple voting, Zimmerman said. | |
| Zimmerman was the only one to speak directly on the issue but it had widespread support, indicating it could soon become official policy. | |
| Asked about the possibility voters could be disenfranchised because they lacked ID, Zimmerman said that people who attended the polls without ID could cast a provisional ballot and have their identity checked later before the vote was counted. | |
| There was also a “legitimate discussion” about whether photo ID would be required or a credit card or Medicare card would suffice, which would also alleviate the concern of disenfranchisement. | |
| Updated | |
| at 5.06am GMT | |
| 4.57am GMT | |
| 04:57 | |
| Paul Karp | |
| The special minister of state, Scott Ryan, has announced the government will introduce legislation next week to require authorisations for robocalls and texts explaining who sent them, in a bid to head off anonymous or misleading electoral messages. | |
| In an interim report in December, the joint standing committee on electoral matters (Jscem) recommended that all electoral advertising, including telephone, text messaging or social media, should have authorisations. | |
| Ryan said the law would require “political parties, candidates and others to put their name to a greater range of political communications, ensuring voters fully understand who is trying to influence their vote”. | |
| “It will also strengthen laws to prevent individuals or organisations from impersonating a commonwealth body.” | |
| Jscem suggested that change was necessary because the current prohibition on impersonating a commonwealth officer may not prevent impersonating a commonwealth entity, such as Medicare. | |
| Jscem noted concerns that at the 2016 election text messages were sent that were “alleged to be or [gave] the impression that they were” from Medicare. | |
| The text messages, sent by the Queensland branch of the Labor party, said: “Mr Turnbull’s plans to privatise Medicare will take us down the road of no return. Time is running out to save Medicare.” | |
| On Tuesday, Ryan said the legal changes would “better serve voters by making sure Australians know who is trying to influence them”. | |
| Updated | |
| at 5.03am GMT | |
| 4.55am GMT | 4.55am GMT |
| 04:55 | 04:55 |
| 4.53am GMT | 4.53am GMT |
| 04:53 | 04:53 |
| 4.50am GMT | 4.50am GMT |
| 04:50 | 04:50 |
| There are debates going on everywhere on 18C. | There are debates going on everywhere on 18C. |
| .@timwilsoncomau says #18c changes preserve freedom to discuss ideas, @GrahamPerrettMP says there's laws already in place that do #auspol pic.twitter.com/CGThpQxA4m | .@timwilsoncomau says #18c changes preserve freedom to discuss ideas, @GrahamPerrettMP says there's laws already in place that do #auspol pic.twitter.com/CGThpQxA4m |
| 4.43am GMT | 4.43am GMT |
| 04:43 | 04:43 |
| Read Katharine Murphy on 18C. | Read Katharine Murphy on 18C. |
| The Coalition is unable to drop this particular hot potato, despite senior players like Barnaby Joyce and Scott Morrison saying very clearly that the issue really isn’t a priority down the back paddock, or in the cafe where you picked up your coffee this morning, because a significant bloc in the right faction of the Liberal party intended to keep on pushing until the Freedom™ lady sang. | The Coalition is unable to drop this particular hot potato, despite senior players like Barnaby Joyce and Scott Morrison saying very clearly that the issue really isn’t a priority down the back paddock, or in the cafe where you picked up your coffee this morning, because a significant bloc in the right faction of the Liberal party intended to keep on pushing until the Freedom™ lady sang. |
| This is an internal crusade, a little passion play for the conservative base, pure and simple, and never mind the casualties – even if the casualties are your hard-working government colleagues, attempting to defend marginal seats with large ethnic populations. | This is an internal crusade, a little passion play for the conservative base, pure and simple, and never mind the casualties – even if the casualties are your hard-working government colleagues, attempting to defend marginal seats with large ethnic populations. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.48am GMT | at 4.48am GMT |
| 4.38am GMT | 4.38am GMT |
| 04:38 | 04:38 |
| Meanwhile, former Labor senator Nova Peris is sharing some examples of free speech possible under the current system. | Meanwhile, former Labor senator Nova Peris is sharing some examples of free speech possible under the current system. |
| #FreedomofSpeech pic.twitter.com/tUgistooGV | #FreedomofSpeech pic.twitter.com/tUgistooGV |
| #FreedomofSpeech pic.twitter.com/zpafGj5fil | #FreedomofSpeech pic.twitter.com/zpafGj5fil |
| #FreedomofSpeech pic.twitter.com/TpkZq8oNQX | #FreedomofSpeech pic.twitter.com/TpkZq8oNQX |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.40am GMT | at 4.40am GMT |
| 4.32am GMT | 4.32am GMT |
| 04:32 | 04:32 |
| The justice minister, Michael Keenan, has been sent out to bat for the changes to 18C. | The justice minister, Michael Keenan, has been sent out to bat for the changes to 18C. |
| It’s all about striking the right balance, he says. | It’s all about striking the right balance, he says. |
| Keenan is talking about the treatment of Bill Leak and the appalling prosecution of the QUT students. | Keenan is talking about the treatment of Bill Leak and the appalling prosecution of the QUT students. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.33am GMT | at 4.33am GMT |
| 4.24am GMT | 4.24am GMT |
| 04:24 | 04:24 |
| Tony Burke gives a very strong speech. | Tony Burke gives a very strong speech. |
| No one expected the member for Wentworth would be less sympathetic than his predecessor... | No one expected the member for Wentworth would be less sympathetic than his predecessor... |
| Today the end of the Turnbull prime ministership is complete. | Today the end of the Turnbull prime ministership is complete. |
| 4.21am GMT | 4.21am GMT |
| 04:21 | 04:21 |
| Tim Wilson is champing at the bit in his seat on the backbench. | Tim Wilson is champing at the bit in his seat on the backbench. |
| Tony Burke says the Coalition has no idea of the real effect of the 18C changes, then quips maybe that’s because they had so many at the Cronulla riots. | Tony Burke says the Coalition has no idea of the real effect of the 18C changes, then quips maybe that’s because they had so many at the Cronulla riots. |