Leyonhjelm files complaint under racial discrimination act 18C (that he wants to repeal)

*Update: Mark Kenny (journalist) responds to the complaint, video below :)  

You just couldn't make this shit up.

Leyonhelm recently attacked section 18C of the race hate laws saying 18C should be thrown out. Using the perverted thought that "offence is always taken, not given". Victim blaming if you will. That freedom of speech means you can say whatever the fuck you like and if someone is offended that's their fault for taking offence.


Well it seems his life philosophy doesn't actually work for him. You see a newspaper took him up on that and declared he was an "angry white male". Leyonhjelm has taken offence to it.

What's more, he's filed a complaint formally with the Human Rights Commission under section 18C of the racial discrimination act. Touchy touchy. The very section of the act that he wants abolished. WTF? 

Liberal Democrats Senator and noted Caucasian David Leyonhjelm has lodged a pointed formal complaint with the Human Rights Commission under the divisive Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. 

Leyonhjelm, who splits his time between ardently defending the rights of people to say whatever they like, and throwing tantrums when people say whatever they like about him, made the complaint after Fairfax journalist Mark Kenny wrote that the NSW Senator was an “angry white male” – comments that we here at Junkee would never endorse, on account of us not wanting to get sued. 

The Senator told The Daily Telegraph that he was not offended by the comments, but that “the comments are reasonably likely in all the circumstances to offend or insult some white males. My colour was one of the reasons the comments were made.” 

Under Section 18C, it is unlawful to do or say anything that would reasonably “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” someone because of their “race, colour or national or ethnic origin.” You may remember it as the law that Andrew Bolt was found to have breached back in 2011 after he wrote that fair skinned Aboriginal people had chosen to identify as Indigenous in order to win prizes and get ahead in their careers. Classic Bolt. 

The law has become a bit of a sticking point for conservatives, with a rogues gallery of politicians including Leyonhjelm, Corey Bernadi, Family First’s Bob Day and former PM Tony Abbott having all campaigned for its repeal. Interestingly, you’ll note that they’re all white guys, although that’s probably just a coincidence. Junkee