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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AMENDMENT BILL 2011

                    Western Australia


Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011

                       CONTENTS


1.    Short title                                             2
2.    Commencement                                            2
3.    Act amended                                             2
4.    Long title amended                                      2
5.    Section 3 amended                                       2
6.    Section 4 amended                                       2
7.    Part III heading replaced                               3
      Part III -- Racial discrimination, harassment and
              offensive behaviour
8.    Part 3 Division 3B inserted                             3
      Division 3B -- Racially offensive behaviour
      49E.      Racially offensive behaviour             3
      49F.      Exceptions                               4
9.    Section 80 amended                                      5
10.   Section 83 amended                                      6
11.   Section 89 amended                                      7
12.   Section 114 amended                                     8
13.   Section 115 amended                                     8
14.   Section 116 amended                                     8
15.   Section 117 amended                                     9
16.   Section 126 amended                                     9
17.   Section 127 amended                                    10




                         212 -- 1                             page i
                           Western Australia


                     LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

                    (Introduced by Mr Hyde, MLA)



     Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011


                               A Bill for


An Act to amend the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 and for related
purposes.



The Parliament of Western Australia enacts as follows:




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     Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011



     s. 1




1    1.       Short title
2             This is the Equal Opportunity Amendment Act 2011.

3    2.       Commencement
4             This Act comes into operation on the day on which it receives
5             the Royal Assent.

6    3.       Act amended
7             This Act amends the Equal Opportunity Act 1984.

8    4.       Long title amended
9             In the long title delete "grounds." and insert:
10

11            grounds, and in respect of racially offensive behaviour.
12


13   5.       Section 3 amended
14            After section 3(b) insert:
15

16                   (ca)     to eliminate, so far as is possible, racially
17                            offensive behaviour in public; and
18


19   6.       Section 4 amended
20            In section 4(1) --
21              (a) in paragraph (a) of the definition of complaint delete
22                    "representative" and insert:
23

24                    group
25

26             (b)    delete the definition of representative complaint



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                                          Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011



                                                                                   s. 7



1                (c)    insert in alphabetical order:
2

3                      group complaint means a complaint lodged under
4                      section 83(1)(a) or (b) or (1a) by a person on behalf of
5                      the person and other persons or by 2 or more persons
6                      on behalf of themselves and other persons, but does not
7                      include such a complaint after it has been amended by
8                      the Tribunal under section 116(b);
9


10   7.     Part III heading replaced
11          Repeal the heading to Part III and insert:
12


13         Part III -- Racial discrimination, harassment
14                   and offensive behaviour
15


16   8.     Part 3 Division 3B inserted
17          After section 49D insert:
18


19                 Division 3B -- Racially offensive behaviour
20        49E.         Racially offensive behaviour
21          (1)        It is unlawful for a person to do any act, otherwise than
22                     in private, that is reasonably likely to offend, insult,
23                     humiliate or intimidate another person on the ground
24                     of --
25                        (a) the race; or
26                       (b) a characteristic that appertains generally to
27                              persons of the race; or
28                        (c) a characteristic that is generally imputed to
29                              persons of the race,


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     Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011



     s. 8



1                   of that other person or of a relative or associate of that
2                   other person.
3             (2)   Conduct is taken not to occur in private if it --
4                    (a) consists of any form of communication with the
5                         public or a section of the public; or
6                    (b) occurs in a public place or in the sight or
7                         hearing of people who are in a public place.
8             (3)   In subsection (2) --
9                   public place includes a place to which the public or a
10                  section of the public has access, or is expressly or
11                  impliedly permitted to have access, whether on
12                  payment or not.

13          49F.    Exceptions
14                  Nothing in section 49E renders it unlawful to do an act
15                  reasonably and in good faith --
16                    (a) in the performance, exhibition or distribution of
17                         an artistic work; or
18                    (b) in the course of a statement, publication,
19                         discussion or debate made or held for --
20                           (i) a genuine academic, artistic or scientific
21                                 purpose; or
22                          (ii) any other genuine purpose in the public
23                                 interest;
24                         or
25                    (c) in making or publishing --
26                           (i) a fair and accurate report of; or
27                          (ii) a fair comment that is an expression of a
28                                 genuine belief held by the person
29                                 making the comment in relation to,
30                         an event or matter of public interest.
31



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                                     Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011



                                                                          s. 9



1    9.   Section 80 amended
2         In section 80 --
3           (a) delete "age eliminating" and insert:
4

5                 age, eliminating
6

7          (b)    after "accommodation," insert:
8

9                 eliminating, as far as possible, racially offensive
10                behaviour in public,
11

12         (c)    in paragraph (a) delete "discrimination or sexual or
13                racial harassment" and insert:
14

15                discrimination, sexual or racial harassment or racially
16                offensive behaviour
17

18         (d)    after paragraph (b)(ii) insert:
19

20                      (iiia)   elimination of racially offensive
21                               behaviour in public; and
22

23         (e)    in paragraph (e) delete "harassment; and" and insert:
24

25                harassment, and means of eliminating racially offensive
26                behaviour in public; and
27

28          (f)   after each of paragraphs (g)(i) and (ii) insert:
29

30                and
31




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     Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011



     s. 10



1    10.          Section 83 amended
2          (1)    In section 83(1)(c) delete "persons." and insert:
3

4                                  persons; or
5                          (d)     in the case of an alleged contravention of
6                                  section 49E and subject to subsection (4A), a
7                                  representative body on behalf of one or more
8                                  named members of the affected racial group.
9

10         (2)    In section 83(3) --
11                  (a) after "subsection (1)" insert:
12

13                         (a) or (b)
14

15                  (b)    delete "representative" in both places where it occurs
16                         and insert:
17

18                         group
19

20         (3)    After section 83(3) insert:
21

22               (4A)     A complaint cannot be lodged under subsection (1)(d)
23                        unless --
24                          (a) each person named in the complaint has
25                               consented to the complaint being made on his
26                               or her behalf; and
27                         (b) the act the subject of the alleged contravention
28                               is a matter of genuine concern to the body
29                               because of the way acts of that kind affect, or
30                               may affect, the people the promotion of whose
31                               interests or welfare is the body's primary
32                               purpose.


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                                            Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011



                                                                                 s. 11



1

2          (4)   Repeal section 83(6) and insert:
3

4                (6)    In this section --
5                       affected racial group, in relation to an alleged
6                       contravention of section 49E, means the class of
7                       persons it is alleged are likely to be offended, insulted,
8                       humiliated or intimidated by the act the subject of the
9                       alleged contravention;
10                      representative body, in relation to an alleged
11                      contravention of section 49E, means a body (whether
12                      incorporated or not) that has as its primary purpose the
13                      promotion of the interests or welfare of people who
14                      are, or include, members of the affected racial group;
15                      trade union means an organisation of employees or an
16                      organisation of employers.
17


18   11.         Section 89 amended
19               In section 89(1) --
20                 (a) delete "substance or" and insert:
21

22                       substance,
23

24                (b)    delete "Act," and insert:
25

26                       Act or, in the case of a complaint lodged under
27                       section 83(1)(d), is made in contravention of
28                       section 83(4A),
29




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     Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011



     s. 12



1    12.         Section 114 amended
2                In section 114 delete "representative" in both places where it
3                occurs and insert:
4

5                group
6


7    13.         Section 115 amended
8          (1)   In section 115(1) --
9                  (a) insert after "permit a complaint":
10

11                       lodged under section 83(1)(a) or (b) or (1a)
12

13                (b)    delete "representative" in both places where it occurs
14                       and insert:
15

16                       group
17

18         (2)   In section 115(2) --
19                 (a) insert after "In considering":
20

21                       under subsection (1)
22

23                (b)    delete "representative" in both places where it occurs
24                       and insert:
25

26                       group
27


28   14.         Section 116 amended
29               In section 116 --
30                 (a) insert after "Where":

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                                          Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011



                                                                              s. 15



1

2                       , having considered a complaint under section 115,
3

4                 (b)   in paragraphs (a) and (b) delete "representative" in each
5                       place where it occurs and insert:
6

7                       group
8


9    15.         Section 117 amended
10               In section 117 --
11                 (a) delete "representative" in the first place where it occurs
12                       and insert:
13

14                      group
15

16                (b)   delete "representative complaint" in the second place
17                      where it occurs and insert:
18

19                      group complaint or a complaint under section 83(1)(d)
20


21   16.         Section 126 amended
22         (1)   In section 126 --
23                 (a) before "The Tribunal" insert the subsection designation
24                       "(1)";
25                 (b) delete "a party to an investigation at any time after the
26                       lodging of the complaint into which that investigation is
27                       held," and insert:
28

29                      the complainant or respondent to a complaint into which
30                      an inquiry is being held,
31




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     Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill 2011



     s. 17



1          (2)   At the end of section 126 insert:
2                (2)    In this section --
3                       parties, in relation to a group complaint or a complaint
4                       lodged under section 83(1)(c) or (d), includes the
5                       persons on whose behalf the complaint was made.

6    17.         Section 127 amended
7          (1)   In section 127(b)(i) --
8                  (a) delete "representative" and insert:
9

10                       group
11

12                (b)    delete "to the complainant"
13         (2)   In section 127(b)(iii) --
14                 (a) delete "representative" and insert:
15

16                       group
17

18                (b)    delete "the complainant;" and insert:
19

20                       reason of the respondent's conduct;
21
22




 


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