Yes. 18c must go; it has no place in a democracy but then, Australia is no longer a democracy in the true sense of the word. The Americans, a more polygot lot than we are, survive without 'hate speech' laws. We are fast becoming a global joke, too frightened to go to the toilet without permission from the U.N or the unelected busybodies of the AHRC and the High Court, both of which are standing in for our stupid politicians.

Ah, ttbn, so the Americans 'survive' without hate speech laws. Well, they do have hate crime laws (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/how-federal-law-draws-a-line-between-free-speech-and-hate-crimes/).

'Survive' in America? Depends on who you are of course. I reckon I'd much rather be here with hate crime laws than in America without!

Cossomby & is Mise,

A little bit precious :) Of course, if events overseas directly affected Australians, then it's appropriate for monuments to be built here to commemorate them. And if people came from overseas and were remarkable for something they did here, likewise.

But where would it stop if we erected monuments to everyone or everything that someone in Australia felt was important ? Public monuments should reflect the public, i.e. Australia-wide, interest in some event. The Bengal Famine of the early 1940s, and that in Ethiopia in the 1970s, were terrible tragedies, but their commemoration in Australia may be inappropriate.

O course, I'm still slightly in two minds about this :)

Joe

Considering all the words that have been said around 18c can anyone
put their hand on their heart and say it has improved trust in others ?

Clearly not, or we would not be having this discussion.

Similar laws in Europe are causing real anger.
The Dutch politician Geert Wilder has been convicted because he asked
a political rally "Do you want more Moroccans or less ?".

A statement like that here could see an 18c action I think.

Graham; Some of the statements made on OLO would definitely lead to 18c.
Have you considered whether the contributor or yourself would be liable ?

We ought to have only ONE culture that can accept every race, opinion and freedom of expression. Those that cannot live with tolerance of these values should not be citizens and our laws should consider them criminal.

I have a Japanese friend, and I like the Japanese in general. However, those wanting to sool the AHRC onto the Uniting Church (which I thoroughly loathe) must have lost their marbles. The Japanese military did use the women in question as unwilling prostitutes - that is absolute fact - and these tools should be too ashamed of their ancestors to make such an ostentatious fuss about a statue of a little Asian woman sitting on a chair. And, to be honest, I am thoroughly pissed off by foreigners using the worst Australia law ever (18c) against my fellow Australians, even if they are loony Lefties, not tough enough to be Presbyterians.