Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s hate speech laws scrutinised as Coalition mulls support
The finer details of a hate speech overhaul are set to be revealed as laws drawn up after the Bondi terror attack go under the microscope.
Parliament’s powerful intelligence and security committee will scrutinise the laws on Tuesday, hauling in the home affairs and attorney-general’s departments as well as the Australian Federal Police and ASIO.
The laws will be introduced to Parliament on Monday, when MPs will also be given time to speak on a condolence motion following the anti-Semitic attack at Bondi Beach that claimed 15 innocent lives.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The package includes creating offences for publicly promoting or inciting racial hatred as the Government vows to crack down on hate preachers.
A person faces five years behind bars if they promote or incite hatred against another person or group because of race, colour or national or ethnic origin, according to part of the legislation seen by AAP.
Disseminating ideas of superiority over or hatred of another person or group because of their race, colour or national and ethnic origin is also an offence.
It would be an offence if “the conduct would, in all the circumstances, cause a reasonable person who is the target, or a member of the target group, to be intimidated, to fear harassment or violence, or to fear for their safety,” the draft legislation states.
There are already concerns within the Coalition about provisions of the hate speech bill, including a passage that exempts “directly quoting from or otherwise referencing a religious text for the purpose of religious teaching or discussion”.
The apprehension within the Coalition is that this may fail to tackle some radical Islamic preachers who would be able to fall back on that defence.
The proposed omnibus legislation could also wedge the Coalition as it includes gun reforms.
The full details of the changes will be made public on Tuesday, but Nationals MPs have already expressed reservations about gun control after the Coalition was briefed on the legislation on Monday evening.
Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said some of the firearm importation provisions being pursued related to particular classes of guns, “and not ones that recreational or agricultural shooters should be worried about”.
“We will, as a Coalition, work through the detail and make sure our position is a united one,” he said.
