Keep Safe NSW urges strengthening of race-hate legislation

In the wake of news this week regarding members of Gosford Anglican Church being harrassed and disrupted by members of the Party For Freedom, renewed calls have been made to strengthen and overhaul legislation around discrimination and race-hate legislation.

The Keep NSW Safe coalition of communities is urging every member of the community to send a letter to their state Member of Parliament urging the state government to overhaul the state’s race-hate legislation.

About 35 ethnic community leaders gathered at State Parliament last week to issue a statement urging the government to honour its public commitment to introduce legislation (in the first half of 2016) to address the fact that Section 20d of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act is ineffective.

Not a single person has been charged under the law since it was introduced over a quarter of a century ago.

“The law is weak and ineffective, and it needs to be overhauled in order to protect the people of NSW,” Keep NSW Safe spokesperson Vic Alhadeff said.

“All you have to do is go to www.keepnswsafe.com and type your name and post code, and a letter will automatically be sent to your MP and the Premier.

“The government won’t change the law unless it hears from the people of NSW – which means every member of the community. We urge everyone to do it, tell your friends and family to do it and like our Facebook page. Every letter can make a difference.”

The statement which the coalition of communities issued was signed by 20 organisations, from Armenian, Hellenic, Indian and Chinese to Hindu, Korean, Assyrian and Vietnamese communities.

(Pictured) Keep NSW Safe spokesperson Vic Alhadeff (centre) and members of Keep NSW Safe issue a statement calling on the State Government to overhaul the race-hate legislation.