At present, there are two main positions for reform of section 18 C of the Racial Discrimination Act. The first is to keep the section, including the “offence” clause, but to add a reasonable person test. Actually, media comments referred to the “man on the Bondi tram,” but he is long gone. Instead it could be a woman or transgendered person, which is not a trivial point. “Man” is sexist, and that is close to “racist.”
Those championing this idea are quick to add that while they value free speech, they do not accept “racist and xenophobic speech.” Today such speech has been redefined to include almost anything worth saying about race and immigration.