Committee Calls To Extend Anti-Vilification Protections
The ABC reported that as the COVID-19 pandemic rose in Victoria, a year ago, so did the number of people contacting Victoria’s human rights commissioner for advice about racial vilification, and new data shows it is not slowing down.
This week the Anti-Vilification Protections Inquiry, which investigated the effectiveness of the current protections against vilification, was tabled in State Parliament, and its recommendations will be considered by the Government.
Natalie Suleyman, Chair of the Legislative Assembly’s Legal and Social Issues Committee, recently spoke on the rise in far-right extremism which triggered the Anti-Vilification Protections Inquiry. John Kennedy, Member for Hawthorn, was proud to join Natalie shortly after she tabled her report on the anti-vilification inquiry.
“The Government created our current anti-vilification laws and stands ready to strengthen them if necessary. This includes looking closely at the recommendation to ban the Nazi swastika,” said John.
“Like the Nazi swastika, racism has no place in Victoria – there has never been a more vital time for us to unite against prejudice and show compassion for each another.”
The Government will consider the committee’s report and have more to say in due course.
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