Aussie Pol Attacked for Supporting Free Speech

Opposition leader Tony Abbott wants to ditch "hate speech" laws on free speech grounds, but the Australian government disagrees

THE controversial finding against News Ltd journalist Andrew Bolt is the best known contravention of the racial vilification law, but the government yesterday pointed to "Holocaust" cases to reject Tony Abbott's argument for scrapping it.

In an address titled "Freedom Wars", Mr Abbott said that while insulting, humiliating or intimating others on any grounds, racial or otherwise, was deplorable, a "hurt feelings" test was impossible to comply with while maintaining the fearless pursuit of truth.