Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister for Arts and Attorney-General) (14:16): People do have a right to be bigots, you know. In a free country, people do have rights to say things that other people find offensive, insulting or bigoted. Nevertheless, through you, Mr President, may I point out to Senator Peris that section 18C, in its current form, does not prohibit racial vilification. Section 18C in its— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order, on my left! Senator Wong interjecting— Senator BRANDIS: I will take that interjection. People have the right to be— The PRESIDENT: Senator Brandis, you are entitled to be heard in silence and hence you have been stopped at this moment. Senator Brandis, continue. Senator BRANDIS: I will take that interjection, Senator Wong. Senator Wong interjects, 'Yes, George, you go out there and defend the right to be bigoted.' Well, you know, Senator Wong, a lot of the things I have heard you say in this chamber over the years are, to my way of thinking, extraordinarily bigoted and extraordinarily ignorant. But I would defend your right to say things that I consider to be bigoted and ignorant. That is what freedom of speech means.