A parliamentary report into the Racial Discrimination Act is set to be handed down today, looking at whether parts of the legislation are too restrictive on freedom of speech.

Key points: The Joint Committee on Human Rights will hand down its report into 18C

The Joint Committee on Human Rights will hand down its report into 18C MP Tim Wilson says he wants to see "some reform of the law… that is not focused on subjective standards"

MP Tim Wilson says he wants to see "some reform of the law… that is not focused on subjective standards" Mr Wilson claims the Labor Party has "made malicious and misleading claims" that has led other MPs to oppose changes to the act

The three-month inquiry, conducted by the Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights, received hundreds of submissions, and many Coalition MPs are hoping it will lead to changes to section 18C of the act, which makes it illegal to offend, insult and humiliate someone because of their race.

Tim Wilson, a Victorian MP and a former human rights commissioner, has been part of a backbench push to make changes to section 18C.

"The principle of free speech underpins a civil society and a free society because we have to be able to stand up and speak out in defence of our liberties," he told AM.

He said he hoped the committee's recommendations could lead to changes to the act.

"I'd like to see the committee recommend some reform of the law, particularly around establishing a new test that is not focused on subjective standards like whether someone's offended, insulted or humiliated, and something that's much more objective," he said.

Last year Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull resisted calls to reform the act, saying the Government had much more pressing priorities, but he later relented following pressure from his own party to establish the inquiry.

Mr Wilson said the Prime Minister understood the need for change.

"When it comes down to it the Prime Minister has always understood the importance of freedom of speech at the heart of liberalism itself, and the importance of it to members of the Coalition," he said.

"He hasn't led the debate, it's been led by the backbench."

Some Liberal MPs, particularly those in multicultural electorates, have expressed concern in the past about changing the act, although they are in the minority.

Mr Wilson said their worries were being whipped up by the Labor Party.

"Unfortunately there have been malicious and misleading claims made," he said.

"Some people sadly have accepted them as though that is what is going to occur. History doesn't show that."

The committee report is a joint effort by the Coalition as well as the Greens and Labor. Tony Burke, Labor's spokesman for multicultural affairs, does not buy arguments from the Government that standardising discrimination laws are necessary.

"Any change that results in more permission being given for racial hate speech is bad for Australia," he told AM.

"It's not much comfort for the person who's copping racial abuse that you say, 'oh, this is for the sake of consistency'. Australia doesn't need more racial hate speech, and any recommendations that give more permission for it should be resisted."

Mr Burke said Mr Turnbull was being wedged on the issue by his own party.

"Malcolm Turnbull used to be one of the people in the Liberal Party who was arguing against changing these laws, and then as with so many of these issues, one after the other, he caved to the far right of his party and allowed this committee to go ahead," he said.

"We haven't had to have some sort of 'divide the Liberal Party' strategy here, they've done it all on their own."

The recommendations from the Joint Parliamentary Committee will be handed down later this afternoon.