Tas Libs -˜incite hatred’

The Liberal Party in Tasmania has been taken to the state’s Anti-Discrimination Tribunal over pamphlets used in the 2006 state election which claimed same-sex marriage is -œsocially destructive.

Human rights advocate Martine Delaney said the pamphlets incite hatred and violate Tasmania’s incitement-to-hatred laws.

Former state Liberal Party director Damien Mantach told the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal last week the pamphlets were part of the -œcut and thrust of politics and rejected inciting hatred against same-sex couples.

Mantach denied the words -œsocially destructive were inflammatory. He agreed the party had made a deliberate decision to run a danger campaign.

Delaney’s lawyer told the tribunal that -œrobustness of debate should not be at the expense of minority groups.

The Liberal Party’s lawyer said strong language should be expected in the discourse of election campaigning and the pamphlet aimed to demonstrate the -œrisk of the Greens’ policy, not incite hatred of same-sex couples.

Delaney also has a separate complaint before the Tribunal against 2006 election advertisements authorised by members of the Exclusive Brethren which declared the legal recognition of transgender and intersex people -œwill ruin families and society.

The Tribunal will now consider a verdict.