More than 50 councils around the country have passed a motion calling on the attorney general, George Brandis, to drop his proposal to water down section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.



The councils include city, rural and regional councils across the political spectrum. All have passed a motion which supports the importance of section 18C, which prohibits offensive behaviour based on racial hatred.



The motion also urges “all levels of government to combat bigotry at every opportunity” and “requests that the federal attorney general withdraw the draft exposure amendment to the RDA”.



Brandis’s draft legislation would repeal 18B, C, D and E and significantly widen the exemptions under 18D, removing the provisions that require public debate to be conducted “reasonably” and in “good faith”.

Peter Blackmore is mayor of the Central Coast council of Maitland, which has passed the motion to support their multicultural and indigenous communities. Blackmore is a former state Liberal party MP and is also chair of the Hunter Regional Organisation of Councils.



Blackmore said he was deeply moved by the presentation of a Sudanese refugee, Butheina Kuku, who had experienced racism in Maitland. Kuku’s car and house had been vandalised and she was thinking about moving out of the area due to the threats.



“There are a number of Sudanese people in Maitland and there has been too much discrimination being shown in their neighbourhoods,” Blackmore said.

“There have been shocking instances of discrimination, writing on vehicles, smashing vehicles, name-calling by unknown persons. I don’t like to see anybody, particularly these Sudanese ladies who have escaped all sorts of torture, treated in this way.”



Blackmore, who is no longer a Liberal party member, said he had no idea why the federal government was seeking to change the act and he rejected Brandis’ argument that section 18C infringed the right to free speech.



“I wouldn’t have a clue [at the motivation] and to be honest I don’t really care,” Blackmore said.

“These people have fled their country, one of whom had no idea if their family was still alive, they are not illegal boat people, these people came out here legally with the support of the government,” he said.



“They deserve our support.”



Maitland council had already moved a motion last year that it would not stand for racial discrimination.



The council is now writing to inform the three local federal MPs – Labor’s Sharon Claydon and Joel Fitzgibbon and Liberal parliamentary secretary Bob Baldwin



The Project 18C campaign was organised by the Asian Australian Alliance’s Erin Chew and Kingsley Liu, who decided that councils provided the closest link to local communities. It has included a strong social media campaign.



“We have been surprised at the level of support this issue has received from both federal, state and local politicians across the political divide,” Chew said.



The prime minister, Tony Abbott, committed to make the changes to the RDA before last year’s election after a federal court judge in 2011 found that conservative columnist Andrew Bolt had breached section 18C of the act in newspaper articles that questioned the motivations of fair-skinned people who identified as Aboriginal. The section makes it unlawful to “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” a person or group because of their “race, colour or national or ethnic origin”.



Brandis released draft amendments but he has drawn significant criticism from both sides of politics over his proposed changes, including from his own backbench and the then NSW Liberal premier Barry O’Farrell.



Brandis also inflamed critics by suggesting that people “had the right to be bigots”.



The attorney general called for public submissions and has received more than 5000 submissions in five weeks.



A list of the councils which have urged Brandis to drop his proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act:



New South Wales



1. City of Ryde council ( Liberal Mayor, conservative)



2. Canterbury city council (Labor/progressive dominated)



3. Holroyd city council (Labor/Independent progressive dominated)



4. Blacktown city council (Liberal mayor, conservative, unanimous)



5. The Hills shire council (Liberal mayor, conservative)



6. Parramatta city council (Liberal mayor, conservative)



7. The City of Sydney council (Independent Mayor)



8. The city of Botany Bay (Labor)



9. Strathfield municipal council (Labor Mayor with Labor/Independent progressive)



10. Willoughby council (Liberal Mayor, conservative, unanimous)



11. Gosford city council (Liberal Mayor, conservative, unanimous)



12. Byron shire council (Independent/progressive)



13. Fairfield city council (Liberal councillor proposed our motion)



14. Bankstown city council (Labor dominated)



15. The City of Canada Bay (Labor/progressive)



16. Blue Mountains city council (40% conservative)



17. Marrickville council (Labor/progressive)



18. Randwick city council (Conservative council, unanimous)



19. Hurstville city council (Liberal mayor, conservative)



20. Auburn city council (Labor dominated)



21. Ashfield council (Labor dominated)



22. Waverley council (Liberal Mayor, conservative)



23. Armidale Dumaresq council (Regional council, independents)



24. Liverpool city council (Liberal dominated)



25. Burwood city councill (Liberal Councillor proposed the motion)



26. Lane Cove council (Liberal and Independent councillors)



27. Wollongong city councill (carried unanimously)



28. Albury city council (moved by independents and carried unanimously)



29. North Sydney (Independent/conservative)



30. Maitland council (Labor/conservative) – won by the vote of the mayor



31. Newcastle city council (Labor/progressive/conservative)



32. Kogarah city council – (Labor/Independents/conservative)



33. Rockdale city council – (Labor and progressive independents dominated)



34. Leichhardt municipal council – (Labor/progressive dominated)





Victoria



1. City of Melbourne (Independent Councillor proposed motion)



2. Darebin city council (progressive)



3. Monash city council (Labor dominated)



4. City of Greater Dandenong (Labor dominated



5. Glen Eira city councill (progressive)



6. Moreland city council (progressive)



7. City of Port Phillip (Independent councillor proposed motion)



8. City of Yarra (progressive)



9. City of Ballarat (progressive)



10. Surf Coast Shire (Labor and Independents)



11. City of Whittlesea (Labor dominated)



12. Frankston city council (Liberal Mayor, conservative)



13. City of Hume (Labor dominated)



14. Knox city council (Labor and independent)



15. Yarra Ranges (Independent Council)



16. Hobsons Bay city council (Labor and independent)



17. Kingston city council (Labor councillor proposed/Conservative)



18. Maroondah city council (Labor dominated)



19. Wyndham (Labor dominated)



Mail: Project 18C and Action 18C



Email: action18c@gmail.com





South Australia



1. City of Salisbury (Labor/conservative)



2. District council of Mt Barker (Conservative/ proposed by progressive councillor)



3. Mt Gambier (Independent councillors)





Western Australia



1. Town of Bassendean council – (progressive)





Northern Territory



1. City of Darwin (Independent Mayor)

