A shortwhile ago I made some introductory remarks about the proposed Federal Human Rights and Anti‑Discrimination Act
2012.
The Story So Far:
unlawful conduct includes the usual types of discrimination
except when the government does the discriminating.
There is
a whole swag of protected attributes –
“excuses” we are not permitted to use to discriminate against someone. While I
do believe the list is excessive, I must concede that an obsession with the
music of the late Elvis Aaron Presley does not rate a mention. Thank God for
every small mercy.
There is also
a comprehensive definition of a “disability”. There is no mention of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, but if the manual doesn’t recognise Presleyphilia, then no
biggie.
Now, Read On:
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The bit
that’s got everyone stirred up reads like this:
other conduct that
offends, insults or intimidates the other person.
The clock
is ticking. Soon, it will be an offense to be offensive.
Q. Where will it be an offense to be offensive?
A. In a public place
Q. What is a public place?
A. Work and work-related areas, for example
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How lucky
am I? I’ve managed to find some work. It’s only casual and it’s only 3 days a
week and it’s only 1 hour 40 minutes’ drive in each direction!
Before I even
arrived on the scene my new workmates have been working hard to change their
ways, in preparation for the passage of this new law.
BOSS: My mother used to work at Coon’s Shoes
P.A. I find that offensive
FC Coon’s Shoes? Wouldn’t that be a
contradiction in terms?
BOSS I find that offensive
P.A. It would be an oxymoron
FC Well, there’s no need to be
personal
FC How do you like your coffee?
BOSS Whi… with milk
Instead
of wasting 202 pages of paper, it would be easier if the Act simply said “DON’T
think about the elephant in the room.”
Q. Is a blog a public place?
A. Yes, a blog is a public place
Drafting
a law well is a challenge, but being able to enforce it is a whole bigger
challenge altogether.
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However,
just to be on the safe side, I shall share the following while I can:
The Archbishop of Canterbury and The
Royal Commission for Political Correctness announced today that weather forecasts in the UK should be more
inclusive, e.g. “partly Sunni,
but mostly Shi'ite”.
