Sorry that last bit should read
do they encompass all of Australia's diverse and colourful ways of living?

Mikk,

Equality of men and women, and observance of the rule of law, for starters.

Not all cultural practices are aligned with those two principles: FGM, polygamy, differential rights of men and women in relation to inheritance, rights to divorce, and access to children after divorce, etc. - these are cultural practices which cannot co-exist with an observance of equality before the law.

Cultural practices are usually expressions of power, often of very long-standing, within different social groups and when people from those social groups, particularly the beneficiaries of that power imbalance, come to Australia, they may have difficulty in observing the principle of equality before the law.

So often immigration is very much a learning experience :)

Joe

mikk,
You said, "When will people realise that you ARE a racist when you state things like"
"The anti social behaviour of muslim lebs is well known"
"Thankfully most migrant groups make good efforts to integrate, there are only a few groups that do not.

You have a peculiar slant on racism if you think either, or both, of those statements are racist. Maybe you should buy a dictionary.

If you cannot identify some of our social standards in comparison to other countries, you need to travel or at least expand your knowledge.

"(1) It is unlawful for a person to do an act, otherwise than in private, if:
(a) the act is reasonably likely, in all the circumstances, to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people; and
(b) the act is done because of the race, colour or national or ethnic origin of the other person or of some or all of the people in the group."

This is the section and *only* section of the act currently being questioned.

Note it says "act", not speech.
This can be anything at all. A gesture, a look, a laugh, crossing the street.

Note, it doesn't include religion.

It says nothing of whether the "act" had a valid or invalid justification (true/false).

It says nothing about whether you made a statement about "ALL" or a "majority" of any ethnic group, Paul1405 and Suseonline.

All that matters is whether the act is *likely* to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate.

No matter whether you're telling the truth, being honest about your own experiences, responding to the hostile aggression of the other person(s).

No, your "act" was "likely" to offend.
Arrested, prosecuted, fined/imprisoned.
Ridiculous!

Being of predominantly Irish descent (in modern times) I do find all the laws about racism etc., rather offensive as they deprive the youth of today of the character building experience of being racially or religiously abused.
They also deprive them of the equally character building experience of copping a "bunch of fives" for their remarks and/or gestures.

To have born an obviously Irish name in the 1940s to the 1970s, was a positive experience, we were among other things, ignorant, had dirty habits and were hiding rifles in the crypt of St Mary's Cathederal (during WW II) to help the Germans when they landed!! and neutral Ireland was leaving the lights on in Dublin as a guide for German planes bombing London.

All the fun has gone out of being racist.

Hi Is Mise,

Apres toi, le deluge !

An Irishman enters a doctor's waiting room with bandages over both his ears ......