In a shock move, mid-debate, the Labor Government late today moved to shelve the passage of draft legislation to strengthen Victoria's hate speech laws, following the announcement by a range of non-Government Members that they will also amend the Bill to toughen the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC).
As a consequence of Labor's backflip, it will be at least two weeks before the Parliament can consider it further; though there is no guarantee that the Government will even allow it to be considered then.
Shadow Attorney-General, James Newbury, said: "Jacinta Allan is so morally bankrupt that she is delaying new hate speech laws and laws that would strengthen IBAC and give them the power they need to root out corruption.
"Despite the Premier's protestations for days against any delay to proposed hate speech laws, the Premier has now delayed these laws herself.
"Labor is not only responsible for covering up corruption but now they are stopping good new laws from being passed by the Parliament."
