Michael Chaney calls for action on 18C restrictions

Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney has called for the scrapping of the contentious section 18C.

Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney is adding to growing calls for the scrapping of section 18C.

Michael Chaney, one of corporate Australia’s most senior and respected leaders, has called for the scrapping of the contentious section 18C of the federal Racial Discrimination Act.

The chairman of Wesfarmers and Woodside Petroleum, and a former chairman of National Australia Bank, he said the law — which allows for the sanction of those who “insult” or “offend” on the grounds of race — is excessive.

“I think 18C goes much too far and restricts freedom of speech,” Mr Chaney said.

“Some of the debate around what is offensive and what is not offensive has been quite ridiculous and I’d like to see it repealed or certainly amended so freedom of speech wasn’t threatened.”

Mr Chaney’s comments come amid a debate over 18C following the decision by the Human Rights Commission to investigate The Australian’s Bill Leak over one of his cartoons.

The investigation was triggered by a complaint from West Australian student Melissa Dinnison, who says she experienced racial hatred and had been discriminated against as a result of the cartoon.

Several students at the Queensland University of Technology were subject to another 18C case under which they were being sued for $250,000 for commenting on Facebook about segregation after they were told to leave an indigenous-only computer lab, but the case was thrown out of court last week.

Mr Chaney is the latest in a long line of prominent Australians to call for ­action on 18C.