A Liberal MP has predicted the proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act will not survive in its current form after a poll showing nine in 10 Australians want the laws to remain unchanged.
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Backbencher Craig Laundy, who has been open in his opposition to the law changes, declared “I am, quite clearly, personally one of the nine in 10” on Monday after the Fairfax-Nielsen poll found 88 per cent of voters believed it should remain unlawful to offend, insult or humiliate a person based on their race.
Mr Laundy, whose electorate of Reid is one of Sydney’s most ethnically diverse, has been outspoken after he received 3000 pieces of correspondence from constituents, none in support of the government’s planned changes to sections 18C and 18D of the Racial Discrimination Act.
“Those poll results reflect what I’ve been hearing,” he said.
On Monday, he said he hoped the strong sentiment from voters “will result in a sensible outcome”.
“It’s a draft exposure, it was put up to provoke discussion and, surprise, surprise, it has provoked discussion,” Mr Laundy said.
“I’d be very surprised if that process doesn’t play out and we’ll come to something that is acceptable for all people.
“We’ll end up on something that is more acceptable.”
Since he first aired his views last week, Mr Laundy said he had been approached by no fewer than six ministers and 25 government backbenchers about his opposition to the laws.
He would not say if he was being pressured to change his position or whether this signalled a growing number of government MPs would consider crossing the floor if the proposal was put to a vote in its current form.
Liberals John Alexander, Jason Wood, Ken Wyatt and party veteran Philip Ruddock are among the MPs who have already expressed concern about the direction of the reforms.
“My public stance is this: This process is working, I applaud the process so much it has resulted in backbench colleagues and ministerial colleagues seeking me out and asking me why I feel the way I feel,” Mr Laundy said.
“This is a party system at work the way it should be at work.
“People have come to me in good faith, I’m not about to betray that.”
Mr Laundy has not stated clearly if he will cross the floor on the proposal, but has emphasised that his personal beliefs, along with views in his electorate that protections against hate speech should remain, were his primary guides for reaching a decision.
“My resolve is to do what I was asked to do by the Attorney-General which is canvas opinion and do the job I was elected to do last September by the people of Reid which is to listen to them and to fight for them,” he said.
The office of Attorney-General George Brandis was contacted for comment.
