Attorney-General Christian Porter has dismissed calls for the position of race discrimination commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission to go unfilled.
A research brief written by Liberal-aligned think-tank the Institute of Public Affairs and sent to federal members of parliament has called for the high-paid job to be done away with, claiming it serves no real function and "promotes division".
But Mr Porter said applications to replace Dr Tim Soutphommasane - who ends his five-year tenure in August -are currently being considered.
"The race discrimination commissioner will be replaced," Mr Porter told SBS News on Tuesday.
"An open recruitment exercise is already underway. An appointment will be announced in due course."
The job attracts a remuneration package in excess of $340,000, but the institute's two-page brief "Race has no place" argued that the position serves "no substantive function" and "promotes division in the community".
"The position requires dividing Australians according to their race and looking first at racial characteristics rather than other characteristics and I think that's a very bad idea," Simon Breheny, the institute's policy director, told SBS News.
The brief, written by research fellow Morgan Begg and executive director John Roskam, notes a race discrimination commissioner was not appointed between 1999 and 2004, and Mr Breheny claimed the position "doesn't have a role in resolving disputes".
"At the moment no one can turn to the race discrimination commissioner if they feel they've been discriminated against because that's not the race discrimination commissioner who handles complaints.
"Even if the position ... goes unfilled, there will still be the avenue of making complaints to the Australian Human Rights Commission. That avenue will still be open to people.
But Dr Soutphommasane says the vast majority of Australians support measures to combat racial discrimination and back the work of the commissioner.
"I hope whoever comes after me will be a fierce and independent advocate for racial equality and do their job without fear or favour," he told SBS News.
"I know working over the last five years with the different multicultural, indigenous communities and with civil society that there is a strong expectation that the race discrimination commissioner stands up against racism and defends the integrity of the Racial Discrimination Act."
Community groups have also backed the role of the commissioner.
FECCA policy director Alia Imtoual told SBS News: "The commissioner plays a crucial role in setting the tone of public debate which indicates that racism, discrimination and intolerance is not welcome in Australian society and ... plays an important role in defending the rights of migrant Australians and Australians of culturally and linguistically diverse communities".
Jackie Huggins, co-chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples said: “Without question, the role of the race discrimination commissioner is pivotal to the Australian national identity and the fabric of our nation".
"It adds a safeguard against intolerance and prejudice of Indigenous and ethnic minorities in Australia. In these global, troubled times surely it’s time again to do the right and honourable thing.”
Jackie Huggins with Tim Soutphommasane. Source: Supplied
Dr Soutphommasane, who was a vocal advocate in opposing changes to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, says that the next commissioner will have to deal with the challenges of a challenging global environment.
"Far right extremist movements and national populism are on the rise and this does create challenges for any multicultural society that believes in equality and fairness.
"We need to ensure we don't go backwards on these issues that we continue to have strong and effective protections against racism and racial hatred and that we promote better understanding of cultural diversity because ultimately this is about getting the best out of our country and ensuring Australia lives up to potential as a multicultural society."
