Truthful debate is slurred into silence by the Left, by Mark Latham.

ONE of the tactics of political correctness is to brand anyone expressing mainstream views as a bigot.

This allows the accuser to claim the high moral ground while smearing his opponent with the sins of racial, gender and sexual discrimination.

In Australian politics it is no longer possible to speak truthfully about Left-generated issues such as domestic ­violence, asylum seekers and genderless school programs without experiencing a politically correct bigotry slur (with the apt abbreviation PCBS).

Yet the interesting thing about PCBS is its in-built boomerang.

Invariably, the people yelling ‘‘bigot’’ are themselves guilty of discrimination.

PC bullies. It’s not just the Left, but the politically correct — some of whom are found on the nominal “Right.” As always with countering bullying, one has to stand up to it and make it too expensive for the bully. So start by calling them out and naming them.

The party’s smearer-in-chief has been Anthony Albanese, who has launched more allegations of bigotry over border protection than most of us have had hot lunches…. For many years, Albanese’s favourite party trick in the House of Representatives was to interject “Sieg Heil!” on Liberal MPs speaking about refugees.

The voters have also copped a serve. During an immigration debate in 2001, Albanese complained that parts of the Australian electorate had objected to the arrival of Vietnamese asylum seekers “on narrow, bigoted grounds”. … In late 2001, during a barney in Canberra, he told me that the main barrier to ALP compassion for refugees was racism in Western Sydney.

Albanese was a prominent part of the smearing of the convoy of no confidence, whilst the media hid or belittled its existence.