Prime Minister recalls parliament to debate new hate speech laws, gun buyback scheme next week
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The news: Parliament will be recalled to debate proposed Labor government legislation to make hate preaching a serious offence, create a new system for designating prohibited hate groups and establish a national gun buyback scheme.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will recall parliament to sit on Monday and Tuesday next week, which will include speeches on a condolence motion for the Bondi terror attack.
The context: Speaking to journalists on Monday alongside Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, the Albanese said the Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill is intended at creating “serious offences for hate preachers and leaders seeking to radicalise young Australians”.
This includes the establishment of a list of organisations that are designated as prohibited hate groups by the Minister for Home Affairs. Burke suggested that neo-nazi group National Socialist Network and islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir would be captured by this system.
Once listed, it would be a criminal offence to be a member, to recruit for the group, donate to or receive funds from the group. Serious offences for hate preachers and leaders seeking to radicalise children would also be introduced.
The bill will also increase penalties for hate crime offences, create a new offence “for inciting hatred in order to intimidate or harass” and make it easier for the immigration minister to cancel or refuse a visa for people “intent on spreading hatred”, the Albanese said.
A national gun buyback scheme will also be set up under the new bill and the existing ban on prohibited symbols will be expanded and strengthened.
The draft legislation will be publicly released on Tuesday before it is debated next Tuesday and has been referred to the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security for consultation and review. The Prime Minister hopes that the legislation will pass the house of representatives and the Senate by the end of next Tuesday.
The opposition will be briefed on the legislation this afternoon by relevant departments with Greens and crossbench members to “be able to access a full briefing” from tomorrow.
A condolence motion on the Bondi terror attack will enable parliamentarians to speak about and commemorate the victims of the incident.
What they said: “We want to ensure that Australia remains a society where everyone has the right to be proud of who they are,” Albanese said.
“And we also want to make it clear that conduct which is hateful, dangerous and divisive will also be illegal, because just as antisemitism and racism are an offense against our Australian values, they should be an offense against Australian law.
Burke commented: “[The National Social Network and Hizb ut-Tahrir] have created a pathway for others to engage in violence, but have been careful to not explicitly call for it themselves.
They’ve kept themselves just below that threshold. This bill will lower that threshold, and lower that threshold to the extent that we can within the constitution. We have had enough of organisations that hate Australia playing games with Australian law.”
The sources: Press Conference in Canberra, Prime Minister, Home Affairs Minister and Attorney-General joint press release
