Labor grills Turnbull over weakening of race hate laws on Harmony Day – as it happened

Malcolm Turnbull says of his previous statements not to change 18C, he says the QUT case and the Bill Leak case had changed the circumstances.

The bill will be introduced into the Senate first.

The first question:

What do you say to a black person or an Asian person who is experiencing racism? What do say to them when they hear the removal of these words?

The new language will better and more clearly protect people from racial vilification and in a more generic term, from harassment or intimidation, because the language is clearer.

George Brandis says they will introduce harassment to the Racial Discrimination Act.

The HRC president will have to make a preliminary assessment on a complaint over its substance before it goes to formal inquiry.

There will be a requirement that a complaint be lodged within six months of the conduct complained of and an obligation on the commission to use best endeavours to resolve complaints within 12 months of a complaint being filed.

The prime minister is speaking now.

We are defending Australians from racial vilification by replacing language which has lost credibility. It has lost the credibility that a good law needs and so the changes we are proposing to section 18C will provide the right balance between protecting Australians from racial vilification and defending and enabling their right of free speech, upon which our democracy, our way of life, depends.

We are also amending the law so as to ensure that the Human Rights Commission will offer procedural fairness, will deal with cases promptly and swiftly and fairly, and that’s very important too. We need to restore confidence to the Racial Discrimination Act and to the Human Rights Commission’s administration of it.

Labor’s Julie Collins has welcomed the appointment Julia Gillard as Chair of Beyondblue.

Ms Gillard brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as Chair given the commitment she made to driving mental health reform during her time as Prime Minister.

There is no doubt Ms Gillard will be a champion for people living with mental illness and her appointment as Chair will ensure the mental health of all Australians continues to be a national priority.

It should be underlined (or highlighted) that the legal definitions of “insult” and “offend” in 18C are different to the pub meanings.

Malcolm Turnbull and George Brandis have a press conference at 12.50pm. This will explain aforementioned 18C changes.

We understand it is remove insult and offend, add harass, but that has not been confirmed anywhere by government.

Meanwhile:

The World Meteorological Organisation warns the record-breaking heat that made 2016 the hottest year ever recorded has continued into 2017, pushing the world into “truly uncharted territory”.

Eric Abetz is cockahoop about the planned changes to 18C.

He is reminding all the Johnny-come-latelys to free speech that he has been a long-time advocate of reforming section 18C.

Abetz says he advocated for change dating as far back as 2011 and announced in 2015 that he would cross the floor on the issue.

These common-sense reforms will go a long way to ensuring that Australians can engage in free speech while maintaining protections against racially motivated harassment and intimidation.”

I am also pleased that the Government will rein in the Australian Human Rights Commission which has morphed into self-appointed thought police.”

OK more briefings from joint party room.

According to another MP, Barnaby Joyce’s speech suggested that amending 18C was not a priority for the government. That sounds more like his public stance, that people are not raising this with him.

Amongst the Libs, the debate consisted of those in more ethnically diverse seats raising concerns including:

• David Coleman (Banks, NSW)
  
• Craig Laundy (Reid, NSW)
  
• Julian Leeser (Berowra, NSW)
  
• Julia Banks (Chisholm, Victoria)
  

And also Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Victoria) who is in a regional seat.