A white male free speech crusader has been mocked online after declaring on last night’s Q&A program that he “loves hearing hate speech” in response to an indigenous woman’s family story of racial abuse.

Brendan O’Neill, a British libertarian who edits Spiked , made the declaration in response to an audience member’s story of her pharmacist father’s repeated racial vilification.

She asked O’Neill if removing Section 18C of the racial discrimination act – which makes it unlawful to insult, humiliate or intimidate someone based on their race – would give license to hate speech.

“I think section 18C is a disgrace,” Mr O’Neill said.

“I think it’s a black mark against the good name of Australia simply for the very basic reason that is invites the state to police thought and speech.”

The libertarian commentator said the law also prevented anti-racism activists such as himself from having the opportunity to argue against racism.

“I love hearing hate speech because it reminds me I live in a free society,” he said.

“The real problem with section 18C is it actually disempowers anti-racists by denying us the right to see racism, to know it, to understand it and to confront it in public.

“Instead it entrusts the authorities to hide it away on our behalf so we never have a reckoning with it.”

But viewers were quick to point out the privileged position from which Mr O’Neill was pontificating, stressing the reality of people subjected to racism in Australia was far harsher than he could ever imagine.

Comedian Corinne Grant, who is currently training to be a lawyer, was also on the Q&A panel and spoke in favour of keeping Section 18C.