Laws to target racist bumper stickers

[Turd Ferguson]

WA mulls laws targeting racist bumper stickers | Perth Now

LAWS to ban racist bumper stickers such as "Asians Out" will be re-introduced to Western Australia's parliament but the proposed civil racial vilification legislation will not prohibit the increasingly popular declaration "F . . . Off We're Full".

The laws, which were originally proposed under the previous Labor government, will make it easier to penalise people who make derogatory remarks about a particular racial group in public, the workplace, in print or on the internet.

Yesterday, WA Equal Opportunity Commissioner Yvonne Henderson said the legislation was overdue.

When it was first introduced in late 2006 it was supported by the Liberal Party but never reached the upper house because of an early state election.

Attorney-General Christian Porter said yesterday he supported the laws and planned to reintroduce the bill this year, but other law-and-order bills were likely to take priority.

Ms Henderson said only very serious forms of racial vilification could be prosecuted under current criminal laws.

"If people see signs or stickers or posters or they see people promoting racism in a generalised way, at the moment unless it's criminal, there's not a lot they can do about it," she said.

She said people could complain to the commission about the use of derogatory language towards a particular racial group but because the "F . . . Off We're Full" bumper stickers were not offensive to a specific group, they would not fall under the laws.

Complaints would be dealt with by the commission through mediation, where compensation or an apology could be agreed to. If an agreement could not be reached, the case would go to a tribunal where penalties could be imposed.

Ms Henderson denied the laws would impinge on freedom of speech and said the 2006 legislation included exceptions for artists, including visual artists and actors.

 

[ParkwayDrv]

lol WA is so orsum i hear next there gonna ban different coloured cars over here....its considered racist

 

[Maxxiz]

Wow, how lame. Its freedom of speech.

 

[melissasd]

They did just finish saying on the news that they're gonna have to be tougher on letting people into the country because it's getting too full... What better way to put it then "F**k off, we're full"

 

[Jecs]

 

[dirt drifter]

so does this affect the bumper stickers saying "speak english or get the f**k out"? i hope not

before long it will be a crime to have racist sms on ya fone. i better start deleting stuff now or else i'll get 20 to life!

 

[Tim Smtih]

I'm reading "The White Australia Policy" by Keith Windschuttle at the moment and it really puts this sort of political rubbish in perspective. First of all, there is no such thing as race. We are all exactly the same bar minute differences. Yes there is a case to prohibit offensive language and signage in full public view but to seek to appease a group or groups of people instead of the larger community reeks of bias. I am proud to be Australian, but at times i am bitterly disappointed to be so due to the sheer stupidity exhibited time and again by the government. "The greater good" doesn't come into this, as i have just pointed out, if they were interested in the greater good they would have blanket laws regarding offensive material and not just "racist material".

http://www.crsi.mq.edu.au/documents/the_race_fallacy.pdf

 

[Demonica]

Cool I can keep my f**k off we're full sticker The government goes on about us having a free country and freedom of speech but that is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. You cant have this on your car blah blah blah. Next it will be no swear words on your car its offensive blah blah. No black cars you cant see them at night blah blah. No V8s they are causing global warming blah blah blah. I swear the pollies use our taxes to to sit on their big butts and think up ways to make us more miserable.

 

[V8Silverfox]

Does this cover all the kiwi's livin in OZ as well??

 

[minux]

Wow, how lame. Its freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech? I think your confusing the USA with Australia, we have no freedom of speech under our democracy.