Hours after the Queens death, with Her Majesty’s body still warm, and millions of Australians in mourning – Senator Faruqi (someone that has benefitted immensely from the British Commonwealth) attached the Queen and imply the Queen was racist, tweeting;
“I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples.”
The above is highly offensive to the majority of Australians.
But it’s not OK for someone to fire back with the line in response to “Piss of back to Pakistan” ?
If this is the law in Australia – that prevents robust debate on controversial efforts – the law is wrong.
Faruqi has a glass jaw.
If you are going to get into the arena as a public figure and make controversial comments, highly offensive to millions – you can’t expect to be protected from criticism because you find their response “offensive”.
The decision is a disgraceful assault on free speech.
Pauline Hanson was totally justified in what she said.
I hope she appeals this decision of a single judge – whose background includes being “an advocate in South Africa for many years with a specialisation in public law.”
–Craig Kelly
