Mr DREYFUS (Isaacs—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business) (16:07): The Prime Minister stood up at a press conference in Canberra on 5 August with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Attorney-General to announce the government's response to the terrorist threat arising out of the conflict in Iraq and Syria. The Prime Minister said: When it comes to counter-terrorism, everyone needs to be part of team Australia, and I have to say that the government's proposals to change 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act have become a complication in that respect. I don't want to do anything that puts our national unity at risk at this time, and so those proposals are now off the table The Prime Minister said that the decision to shelve Senator Brandis's attack on the Racial Discrimination Act was a leadership call that he had made. He went on to talk about what political leadership meant. He said, and this is important: In the end, leadership is about preserving national unity on the essentials … Well, I agree with the Prime Minister. But how disappointing it is that the Prime Minister cannot or will not show that kind of leadership. Prime Minister Abbott has failed to show leadership on the Racial Discrimination Act. He said on 5 August that the government's proposed attack on 18C was off the table, but now the Prime Minister has allowed his backbench senators, Bernardi and Smith, to once more menace Australia's multicultural communities with an attack on race-hate protections. The Leader of the Opposition spoke about the racist attack on a young Muslim woman on a Melbourne train on Monday. The Muslim community has told us that they have seen an alarming spike in racist incidents. The member for Sydney and the member for Watson have recounted other recent attacks on Muslims, on Jews and on Sikhs. At this tense time, when many Australians are particularly fearful of being attacked or vilified or discriminated against because of their race, the Prime Minister allows his backbenchers to tell the community that it is okay to hurl racist insults, and that hate speech must be permitted in our society. Asked what his position on the Bernardi-Smith bill is in question time yesterday, the best the Prime Minister could manage— The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Craig Kelly ): Order! The member for Isaacs will resume his seat. The Minister for the Environment has the call. Mr Hunt: I rise on a point of order. The remarks made were insulting, untrue and incorrect. They allege that the Prime Minister was allowing racism. They need to be withdrawn. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I would request the minister— Mr DREYFUS: I said nothing of the kind, and Hansard will record that I had said nothing of the kind. I will repeat it: the— The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Mr DREYFUS: Prime Minister allows his backbenchers to tell the community that it is okay to hurl racist insults. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I request the member for Isaacs to withdraw. Mr DREYFUS: That is what I said, and it is not what you said. I would be pleased, Deputy Speaker, if I could be allowed to continue my remarks. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I would request the member for Isaacs to withdraw. Mr DREYFUS: I withdraw. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I thank the member for Isaacs. The member for Isaacs has the call. Mr DREYFUS: The Prime Minister offered no condemnation of that bill. Hansard will record that the member for Flinders has misrepresented my remarks. There was no assurance from the Prime Minister that he would direct the members of the coalition parties he leads to stand down. What a failure of leadership from our Prime Minister. What weakness! The Prime Minister has also failed to show leadership on the debate about the burqa, so irresponsibly opened up by the Liberal backbenchers, including the member for Dawson, George Christensen, and the usual suspect, Senator Bernardi. At a time when Muslim women feel, because of their dress, particularly conspicuous and vulnerable to attack and to discrimination, these two Liberals have done their best to exacerbate that fear. Appallingly, they have used the megaphones that they hold as federal politicians to single out Australian Muslim women as different, even dangerous. Incredibly, the Prime Minister has shamefully encouraged this kind of bullying of part of the Australian community. It was reported in the press earlier this week that his own office had supported the member for Dawson in his efforts. When the issue was put to the Prime Minister, he said: … I find it a fairly confronting form of attire. Frankly, I wish it was not worn. The Prime Minister said, 'We can all have an opinion on the issue.' That is certainly the case, but the Prime Minister is not a private citizen. He occupies the highest public office in Australia. I met with a number of young Muslim leaders this week from my home state of Victoria, and one of the things they impressed on me was that words matter. The words our political leaders use matter. When the Prime Minister prevaricates about whether hate speech should be legal, he sends a message about what is acceptable in our society. When he offers his personal opinion on clothing— (Time expired)