Earlier this week, the Government proposed a bill to broaden hate speech protections and create a national gun register, in the wake of the Bondi terror attack that killed 15 innocent people.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland described the reforms as “the toughest hate laws Australia has ever seen.”
Since the bill was announced, MPs across the political spectrum have criticised the proposal, with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley saying she is unsure whether the Coalition will support it.
Context
The Government’s bill includes tougher penalties for hate speech, such as 12 year jail terms for “hate preachers,” and a national gun buyback scheme.
It would also create a new standalone offence for publicly promoting or inciting hatred on the basis of race or ethnicity.
Under the bill, visas could be refused or cancelled on the grounds of association with prohibited hate groups or engaging in hate-motivated conduct, even without a criminal conviction.
The Coalition
At a press conference on Thursday, Ley called the bill “half-baked” and “pretty unsalvageable,” arguing it fails to address the root causes of the Bondi attack.
The Opposition Leader said the bill “doesn’t address Islamic extremism [or] rising antisemitism.” In particular, she called out a loophole allowing religious leaders to avoid hate speech charges if they were quoting a religious text.
Ley added the Coalition wants to enshrine a formal definition of antisemitism in law, which this bill does not include.
Ley argued the Government has rushed the process of developing the bill.
She also noted the Coalition was “not consulted” prior to the bill’s announcement.
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Ley said her party would wait for a Parliamentary committee to finish scrutinising the bill before ultimately deciding whether or not to support it.
The Greens
The Greens announced on Thursday they won’t support the bill in its current form. Greens Leader Larissa Waters said it could have “unintended consequences” and be “weaponised to shut down legitimate political protest.”
The party is calling for hate speech protections to be extended to include LGBTQIA+ people and those with disabilities.
The Greens also raised concerns about making it easier for the Home Affairs Minister to cancel visas “because someone ‘might’ commit an offence,” saying it “is not a credible legal test.”
Independents
Independent MP Allegra Spender, whose electorate includes Bondi Beach, is proposing an amendment to extend hate speech protections to cover religion, sexual orientation, disability, and other characteristics.
However, Spender told SBS she would vote for the bill even if her amendment fails, as “Jewish community safety is paramount now.”
Spender and her fellow ‘teal’ MPs have called on the Coalition and Greens to support the “imperfect” bill, and to “work on [it] together to get it right”.
Govt response
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the ABC he was “stunned” by the Coalition saying the bill was rushed, pointing to repeated requests from the Opposition for Parliament to be recalled during Christmas week.
Albanese said the Government was open to amendments, though he said the Opposition hadn’t provided any specific proposals yet.
