Liberal Democrats Senator Leyonhjelm has lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission about insults directed at him in the Sydney Morning Herald on August 8 by Mark Kenny. He will complain under the auspices of an Act he is seeking to repeal, section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act.
Senator Leyonhjelm says he respects Mr Kenny’s right to his opinion, but his complaint is intended to demonstrate that this particular law is absurd.
“I was not personally offended by the comments – that’s my choice. However, under 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, this does not matter. Under the Act, Mr Kenny’s article is unlawful because his article was reasonably likely, in all the circumstances, to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people on the basis of their colour.
“Mr Kenny referred to me as a white male and called me a boorish, supercilious know-all with the empathy of a besser block, as well as wacky, gormless, and an apologist for hate speech. These are insults, so it is logical that they are likely to insult or offend me or other white males.
“Assuming the adjudicators at the Human Rights Commission are guided by the law and not racists, I anticipate the complaint should succeed.
“Of course, if I succeed in having S18C repealed, Mr Kenny will be free to insult me as much as he likes,” he concluded. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Contact Gavin Atkins at Senator Leyonhjelm’s office on 0448 164 844.
