Anthony Albanese floats new laws to tackle hate speech, pushes back on royal commission
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
More news: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken to the media to unveil a package of proposed laws tackling hate speech, following the second cabinet meeting since the Bondi attack and the ninth meeting of the National Security Committee.
But he stopped short of agreeing to Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's call for a Commonwealth royal commission into the attacks.
The proposed package includes more significant penalties for hate speech and violence against protected groups, an aggravated offence for hate speech and the creation of a list of prohibited hate organisations that would be a criminal offence to join, recruit for or support.
The government is also seeking the power to cancel visas where the home affairs minister suspects someone has been involved in hate speech or associating with terrorist or hate groups. And it is looking at potential changes to customs act to ban importing hate symbols and materials.
Anyone advocating violence and hate speech to radicalise children would also face tougher penalties, with Attorney-General Michelle Rowland saying at the press conference that since 2001 there have been 120 people convicted of terrorism offences. Of these, 10 were children. These laws are expected to be introduced to parliament in 2026.
Albanese noted that state and territory officials are meeting in relation to gun laws.
He said there would be consultation with the community and across Parliament on the legislation.
When asked about his choice not to commit to a national royal commission, Albanese said the government didn’t want to see delay, indicated the process would take "years" and noted the government had “commenced already the Richardson Review”. He said the federal government “will cooperate fully” with the NSW government’s state royal commission.
What they said: Albanese addressed the frustrations of some within the Jewish community towards him, which culminated in his arrival at a vigil on Sunday being greeted with booing.
"Emotions were raw, and a lot of people in the community are hurting and angry. And some of that anger was directed towards me, and I understand that," he said.
Rowland said the laws would be complex.
"Importantly, this is not a time for partisanship. Broad support is essential for these critical new offences and strengthened provisions that this will deliver," she said.
Sussan Ley calls for royal commission into antisemitism, releases draft terms
The news: Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is seeking a national royal commission into antisemitism and the Bondi attacks and has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for failing to call for one and offer an unqualified apology.
Ley said that at Sunday night’s vigil, the “Jewish community made it abundantly clear they want a Commonwealth royal commission into this attack and into the hideous anti-Semitism that has been allowed to fester in this county,” she said at a press conference in Sydney on Monday morning.
She said the NSW government had provided a “model of leadership and unity” after Premier Chris Minns issued an apology to called for a state inquiry.
The context: The Coalition has released a draft of the terms of reference for a royal commission and Ley said this is a "good faith offer" to work on a "bipartisan basis".
"The Parliament should be sitting today so we can legislate the immediate responses to the support and setting up of our Commonwealth royal commission. We have work to do," she said.
Shadow attorney-general Andrew Wallace, also speaking at the press conference, said the issues are multidimensional and multi-jurisdictional, which justified the need for a Commonwealth-level inquiry.
“If this were just to be a state royal commission then that state royal commission would not have the powers to be able to call people from our intelligence agencies and our Commonwealth government departments and indeed ministers of the Crown at a federal level,” Wallace said.
“It must look into immigration and how people are given visas, how they are given citizenship and importantly how people are entitled to review the decisions made by the Commonwealth government,” he said.
The terms of reference include a focus on the rise of anti-Semitism, including online, the media, arts, cultural and education sectors. It also intends to look at the conduct of ministers and departments in their response to anti-Semitism and the Bondi attack.
The terms also seek to look at radical Islam, the far left and the far right as well as neo-Nazi extremism and, more broadly, anti-Israel and anti-Zionist attitudes. It will look at how Commonwealth and state law enforcement and intelligence agencies cooperate.
What they said: “The Jewish community made it abundantly clear they want a Commonwealth royal commission into this attack and into the hideous antisemitism that has been allowed to fester in this country,” Ley said.
“The prime minister’s refusal to call a Commonwealth royal commission and to offer an unqualified apology, as Premier Minns has done, is adding insult to the injury that the Jewish community is feeling and our nation is feeling now.”
She said it was time "to take a long hard look at hat is happening in Australia".
“He [Albanese] can act today,” she said, while criticising government ministers including Penny Wong for not going to Bondi recently. “He can initiate the Commonwealth royal commission that he needs to.”
The source: Sussan Ley press conference
