David Leyonhjelm: NSW Senator lodges complaint over journalist’s claim he is an ‘angry white male’
A POLITICIAN has lodged a formal complaint before the Human Rights Commission under race hate laws for being publicly abused as an “angry white male”.
NSW
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A FEDERAL politician has lodged a formal complaint before the Human Rights Commission under race hate laws for being publicly abused as an “angry white male”.
In the first complaint of its kind for the HRC under the controversial section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, NSW Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm has taken action against a journalist for what he claimed were remarks insulting to white men.
Under Section 18C, it is unlawful to commit an act which would reasonably offend or insult someone because of their race, colour, national or ethnic origin.
The Daily Telegraph has learned the complaint was submitted last week following an article published by Fairfax media in which Mr Leyonhjelm was described as “boorish and gormless as a result of being an angry white male’’.
The article was critical of the senator for his purist views on free speech and his campaign to repeal Section 18C.
Mr Leyonhjelm is using the provisions he wants to abolish to launch the action in a bid to prove what he said was the absurdity of the law.
He said the case would be a test for the HRC and comes as pressure begins to build again inside the government to re-examine repealing the law due to concerns it stifles free speech.
“My colour was one of the reasons the comments were made,” his complaint to the HRC says.
“Other characteristics referred to in the article include being a boorish supercilious know-all with the empathy of a Besser-Block, hate speech apologist, wacky, a self-promoting misanthrope and a practitioner of infantile reasoning.
“The comments are reasonably likely in all the circumstances to offend or insult some white males. My colour was one of the reasons the comments were made.”
Mr Leyonhjelm said he wasn’t personally offended by the article but said under Section 18C he didn’t have to be because the law as it stood meant that the offence be given rather than taken.
“I choose not to be offended … (but) these are insults based on my race so it is reasonably likely that someone of my race could find it insulting,” he said.
“So long as the people at the Human Rights Commission abide by their own laws and are not racists, then the complaint should succeed.”
The West Australian branch of the Liberal Party passed a motion at the weekend supporting reform of the law to remove the words “insult” and “offend”.
Attorney-General George Brandis has said the issue was now “off the table” for the government, despite a growing number of Liberal MPs pushing to reignite the debate.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott last week admitted that he regretted his decision to withdraw amendments to repeal 18C in 2014 in the face of Senate hostility and a botched attempt to make a public case for its abolition.
Mr Leyonhjelm will introduce a private members bill to repeal the section while a separate but watered-down version of the bill will be resubmitted by Family First senator Bob Day to remove the words insult and offend.
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