''Obviously we're concerned about the tenor of [Senator Brandis'] announcements and we do wish to consult with the Attorney-General.

''The time for talking is before any bill is drafted, not afterwards.''

Senator Brandis has signalled that as his first legislative act he wants to amend sections of the Racial Discrimination Act that make it unlawful to offend or insult another person on grounds of race or ethnicity.

Senator Brandis has declared himself a champion of ''freedom'' and disparaged the laws used against Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt over an article he wrote in which he accused ''white'' Australians of identifying as Aborigines to advance their careers.

Asked about concerns raised by members of the Jewish community, Senator Brandis promised he would consult ''stakeholders and interested parties, including leaders of the Jewish community such as Mr Wertheim, before introducing the legislation to Parliament.''