Bolt victim opposes planned changes to Racial Discrimination Act

An Aboriginal person who sued columnist Andrew Bolt in 2009 has spoken out against the Government's proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act.

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Andrew Bolt. (AAP)

Professor of Law at Melbourne University, Mark McMillan is one of the nine Aboriginal people who sued columnist Andrew Bolt in 2009.

He said the hurt suffered from Mr Bolt's public denigration still lingers.

"Andrew Bolt created a situation that other people could then feel empowered and emboldened to actually start to respond to and there in lay all the really egregious stuff," Mr McMillan told NITV News.

"I mean, we got death threats whether they were serious or not, I was accused of being a paedophile, you know these are not just responses of Andrew Bolt. They were responses to the understanding of what Andrew Bolt presented and therein lies the hurt that I still find really difficult to move on from."

Mr Bolt expressed concerns over the comments.

"Any interpretation of Mr McMillan's statements that would construe I somehow accused him of being a paedophile is grossly offensive and utterly false," said Mr Bolt.

"I have never made or even hinted at any such vile accusation. I have in the past publicly attacked prominent people who tried to smear gays as closet paedophiles."

Mr McMillan said he will be writing to the federal government in response to their draft exposure of the Racial Discrimination Act and is encouraging others to do the same.

"What we really have to say is this is damaging to us as Australians," he said.

 

 

 


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Published 28 March 2014 4:53pm
Updated 31 March 2014 2:31pm
By Malarndirri McCarthy
Source: NITV News

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