Last month Attorney-General George Brandis called for changes to the "offend, insult and humiliate" clause in Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, saying that they stifled freedom of speech and that was "one of the key things the Anzacs fought for".
With perfect timing, yesterday, on Anzac Day, we got to see whether he was right. Because Yassmin Abdel-Magied, the young social advocate, part-time ABC presenter and writer posted on her Facebook page: "Lest we forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine)". She deleted the post within hours and wrote a brief apology.
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ABC presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied is labelled "un-Australian" and "insensitive" for using Anzac Day to highlight the plight of refugees. Sunrise
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Yassmin's Anzac statement 'idiotic'
ABC presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied is labelled "un-Australian" and "insensitive" for using Anzac Day to highlight the plight of refugees. Sunrise
Since then, she has been under unrelenting attack. Conservative Liberal MP Eric Abetz sniffed, "Yassmin Abdel Magied's unfortunate and disrespectful Facebook post today, of all days, is deeply reprehensible."
His colleague Peter Dutton thundered, "It is a disgrace that on our most significant national day to mark the passing of people who have defended this country, this advocate seeks to make political mileage."
Nationals MP George Christensen tweeted, "Yasmin should no longer on the public broadcaster's tax-funded payroll. Self-deportation should also be considered."
Those who stand politically on the far right often complain that those on the left are too precious and too quick to outrage. But strangely enough no one does outrage quite like them.
It's the very people who have spent the past few years complaining the loudest about the lack of free speech in Australia and the restrictive, almost-Stalinist nature of Section 18C who seem so traumatised that Abdel-Magied is exercising her democratic right to free speech.
Abetz was ready to go into battle against Section 18C, declaring, "Freedom of speech is one of the key foundations of our society. It goes to the very heart of what has made Australia the most successful democracy in the world."
And when the late Bill Leak had his case before the Human Rights Commission dismissed, Abetz said, "Australians do love their freedom of speech even if sometimes they find it uncomfortable."
Dutton was equally outraged, saying, "I think it's unacceptable we would impinge upon free speech the way we have on Bill Leak."
And last year Christensen tweeted, "I support right to all free speech that isn't defamatory. Even things I hate to hear."
It's now clear that the whole campaign on the conservative side of Australian media and politics against Section 18C and for absolute freedom of speech has been a sham.
They only believe in freedom of speech if you agree with them and their narrow view of the world. They don't want freedom of speech, they believe in freedom from speech - from Yassmin Abdel-Magied or anyone else daring to oppose their view on Anzac Day or Australia's shameful treatment of refugees or anything else.
To paraphrase George Brandis, the ability to bravely say what you think, no matter how unpopular, is exactly why the Anzacs fought at Gallipoli. Accordingly, we should celebrate Abdel-Magied, not attack her.
Duncan Fine is a lawyer and commentator.
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