10. Debate: The Equality and Human Rights Commission's Wales Committee Annual Review 2017-2018

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:50 pm on 6 November 2018.

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Photo of Gareth Bennett Gareth Bennett UKIP 6:50, 6 November 2018

What does intrigue me is the issue of free speech. We now seem to have—[Interruption.] Thanks, Alun. We now seem to have a situation where the concept of free speech seems to clash with minority rights. So, the political left, far from championing people's liberty to speak and broadcast their opinions, are now trying to clamp down on this and get people who say the wrong things prosecuted. Elements of the left tried to ban me from this Chamber a year ago and, of course, there are now moves afoot to get me banned again. Banning elected politicians for broadcasting opinions that the left does not like does not seem very consistent to me with having a genuine interest in human rights. In other words, the left is rather hypocritical on this, hence this ludicrous amendment 5 from Plaid Cymru today, which we oppose. Diolch yn fawr iawn.