Right-wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs urged its supporters to target Liberal MPs opposing the government's failed plans to wind back race hate protections.
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Craig Laundy, who spoke out against Attorney-General George Brandis' proposal to water down Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act before it was canned on Tuesday, was deluged with emails by IPA supporters after he said publicly ''not one person [in my electorate] has contacted me arguing for abolition … the feeling is very strong the other way''.
Simon Breheny, director of the IPA's Legal Rights Project, told supporters on July 11: ''Here's one thing you can do. You can send an email to Craig Laundy telling him why the repeal of section 18C is so important. I know many of you will be keen to make Laundy aware of just how strong the feeling is in favour of repeal.''
Mr Laundy received 257 emails in the space of a few days, most from people outside his western Sydney seat of Reid.
On Wednesday, Mr Laundy welcomed the backdown on 18c, saying he was ''happy to be on Team Australia''. ''It's not us versus them now, it's just us,'' he said. Liberal David Coleman, another opponent of changing 18c, said he had been congratulated by members of the Chinese community in his electorate of Banks.
