Vic to fight for laws banning race hate

Any threat to weaken the Racial Discrimination Act "must be challenged", the Victorian government will tell a federal inquiry.

Victoria will fight changes to the federal Racial Discrimination Act that would make it easier for bigots to practice hate speech.

The Senate this week debated a private member's bill - proposed by One Nation and Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm - which would decimate federal race hate laws.

Victorian Multicultural Affairs Minister Robin Scott on Friday said the state government would make a submission to a federal inquiry supporting section 18C of the Act which makes it illegal to "offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate" based on a person's race or ethnicity.

"Discrimination is never acceptable and people have the right to be accepted for who they are," Mr Scott said in a statement, adding all Victorians deserved strong legislative protections.


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Source: AAP



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