 Just one of 80 submissions supportive of changes
 65 submissions want government’s hands off
 Government ignoring Tasmanians with damaging, unnecessary changes
 Goodwin cannot possibly go ahead in good faith

The astounding revelation that just one of 80 submissions is supportive of unnecessary, potentially damaging changes to Tasmania’s Anti Discrimination laws should force the Hodgman Liberal Government to admit it is badly wrong and immediately abandon its plan.

Shadow Attorney-General Lara Giddings said information revealed in a Right To Information response to Civil Liberties Tasmania was overwhelming proof that Tasmanians were violently opposed to the government’s move to open the door to allow hate speech and take protections from discrimination back decades.

“It’s absolutely astonishing that the Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin would have information at her fingertips showing there is absolutely no support for this ridiculously misguided move, but would still choose to go ahead,” Ms Giddings said.

“How can she possibly even contemplate changes to our critical Anti Discrimination laws when there is such clear evidence that Tasmanians are proud of the protections in place against prejudice, bigotry and inequity in our society and they want the government to keep its hands off?

“Would she have shared this information with Tasmanians if it hadn’t been dragged out of her department by Civil Liberties by Right To Information?

“It’s no surprise that there is overwhelming opposition – what is surprising is that the government and Ms Goodwin are choosing to ignore it with their push to make the changes which will potentially allow people to say hurtful and hateful things in the knowledge that there will be no repercussions.

“Ms Goodwin has in front of her the 80 submissions received from Tasmanians which show just one is in support of her needless and unwarranted amendments, 65 are not supportive and only five are partially supportive.

“Can she now explain why the government is so determined to make us an international laughing stock in relation to anti discrimination protections?

“Can she now explain why – as this state’s first law officer – she is so determined to return Tasmania to a dark place where it was OK to act abhorrently without fear of reprisal?

“Now that the truth has been revealed, the Attorney-General has no option but to put an immediate stop to an action which has no justification whatsoever.”
Lara Giddings Shadow Attorney-General