edited
7th Apr 2017
Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2017 - in Committee - Change 18C wording
Not passed by a small majority
No rebellions 76% attendance
30th Mar 2017, 8:45 PM – Senate Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2017 - Second Reading - Agree with bill's main idea
Summary
EditThe majority voted to agree with the main idea of the bill. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read for the bill for a second time. This means that they can now discuss the bill in more detail.
What is the bill's main idea?
The bill was introduced to:
- amend section 18C, which prohibits offensive behaviour based on racial hatred, to replace the words ‘offend’, ‘insult’ and ‘humiliate’ with ‘harass’ (resulting in the formulation ‘harass or intimidate’); and
- provide that an assessment of whether an act is reasonably likely to harass or intimidate a person or group of persons is made against the standard of a reasonable member of the Australian community.
According to the explanatory memorandum, it would also:
amend the complaints handling processes of the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) under the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (the AHRC Act) and ... make minor amendments to the AHRC Act sought by the Commission to enhance its operation and efficiency
Votes Passed by a small majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives | Yes | |
| Australian Greens (78% turnout) | 0 Yes – 7 No | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young SA | No | |
| Scott Ludlam WA | No | |
| Nick McKim Tasmania | No | |
| Lee Rhiannon NSW | No | |
| Janet Rice Victoria | No | |
| Rachel Siewert WA | No | |
| Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | No | |
| Richard Di Natale Victoria | Absent | |
| Larissa Waters Queensland | Absent | |
| Australian Labor Party (80% turnout) | 0 Yes – 20 No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | No | |
| Kim Carr Victoria | No | |
| Anthony Chisholm Queensland | No | |
| Jacinta Collins Victoria | No | |
| Sam Dastyari NSW | No | |
| Patrick Dodson WA | No | |
| Don Farrell SA | No | |
| Alex Gallacher SA | No | |
| Katy Gallagher ACT | No | |
| Chris Ketter Queensland | No | |
| Sue Lines WA | No | |
| Jenny McAllister NSW | No | |
| Malarndirri McCarthy NT | No | |
| Claire Moore Queensland | No | |
| Helen Polley Tasmania | No | |
| Louise Pratt WA | No | |
| Lisa Singh Tasmania | No | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | No | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | No | |
| Penny Wong SA | No | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | Absent | |
| Doug Cameron NSW | Absent | |
| Kimberley Kitching Victoria | Absent | |
| Gavin Marshall Victoria | Absent | |
| Deborah O'Neill NSW | Absent | |
| Murray Watt Queensland | Absent | |
| Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party | Yes | |
| Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party | Yes | |
| Gavin Marshall Victoria Deputy President | No | |
| Sue Lines WA Deputy President | Absent | |
| Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Independent | No | |
| David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party | Yes | |
| Liberal National Party (50% turnout) | 1 Yes – 0 No | |
| James McGrath Queensland | Yes | |
| Matthew Canavan Queensland | Absent | |
| Liberal Party (76% turnout) | 16 Yes – 0 No | |
| Eric Abetz Tasmania | Yes | |
| Christopher Back WA | Yes | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | Yes | |
| George Brandis Queensland | Yes | |
| David Bushby Tasmania | Yes | |
| Mathias Cormann WA | Yes | |
| Jonathon Duniam Tasmania | Yes | |
| David Fawcett SA | Yes | |
| Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW | Yes | |
| Mitch Fifield Victoria | Yes | |
| Jane Hume Victoria | Yes | |
| James Paterson Victoria | Yes | |
| Marise Payne NSW | Yes | |
| Linda Reynolds WA | Yes | |
| Zed Seselja ACT | Yes | |
| Dean Smith WA | Yes | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | Absent | |
| Ian Macdonald Queensland | Absent | |
| Anne Ruston SA | Absent | |
| Scott Ryan Victoria | Absent | |
| Arthur Sinodinos NSW | Absent | |
| National Party (100% turnout) | 4 Yes – 0 No | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Yes | |
| Fiona Nash NSW | Yes | |
| Barry O'Sullivan Queensland | Yes | |
| John Williams NSW | Yes | |
| Nick Xenophon Team (100% turnout) | 3 Yes – 0 No | |
| Stirling Griff SA | Yes | |
| Skye Kakoschke-Moore SA | Yes | |
| Nick Xenophon SA | Yes | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (75% turnout) | 3 Yes – 0 No | |
| Peter Georgiou WA | Yes | |
| Pauline Hanson Queensland | Yes | |
| Malcolm Roberts Queensland | Yes | |
| Brian Burston NSW | Absent | |
| Stephen Parry Tasmania President | Yes | |
| Totals (81% turnout) | 32 Yes – 29 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.