Former MP takes conservatives to task

A former Liberal MP has taken aim at conservatives inside the Turnbull government who are using a complaint against cartoonist Bill Leak to push the case for amending race-hate speech laws.

"How about Andrew Hastie and others look for solutions to indigenous disadvantage rather than using Bill Leak as an 18C Trojan horse," Ewen Jones tweeted on Tuesday.

Mr Hastie has called on journalists to speak out against the Human Rights Commission's investigation of Leak, saying it could spark a fresh push for reform of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

Mr Hastie said all media outlets should be concerned about the attempt to use the contentious section to stifle free speech.

"My view is that cartoonists and satirists play a really important role in the free press," he told The Australian.

Mr Hastie acknowledged the Leak cartoon, a blunt portrayal of a crisis in Aboriginal parenting, offended some people.

Critics of the cartoon have described it as a racist and hateful smear of indigenous parents.

But for the Human Rights Commission to investigate Leak was "just ridiculous, it's a step too far".

"I think this could well be the straw that breaks the camel's back," Mr Hastie said of 18C.

Prime Minister Malcolm told parliament on Monday the government had not revisited the issue since the Abbott government opted to leave the section unchanged.

Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane denied the debate about indigenous disadvantage was being shut down by the use of Section 18c.

Nor did he pre-judge the matter when he declared society should not endorse racial stereotyping of Aboriginal people.

"I was responding to a question about the cartoon and that was a reflection of the concerns that were expressed on that day by many people," he told a Senate hearing in Canberra.

A similar comment was made by Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion.

"I have no role in handling complaints ... the commission makes no legal determinations about matters brought before it," Dr Soutphommasane said.

Commission president Gillian Triggs said she could not comment on specific complaints.