Liberal party, Muslim groups oppose laws to be rushed into parliament following Bondi shooting
One key section says it would be illegal to promote hatred against people based on race, colour, or national or ethnic origin. It does not apply to conduct that consists solely of direct quotations from religious texts for instructional purposes.
The opposition was briefed on the legislation late on Monday, but in the afternoon Ley claimed it was unreasonable for a single bill to cover “multiple complex and unrelated policy areas”.
“As is often the case with this prime minister, he focuses on his own political interests, not the national interest. This is a political decision aimed at promoting division, not creating unity,” he said.
The government’s new Bill to Combat Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism, drafted in the summer, will introduce new anti-defamation provisions targeting Islamist preachers who spread hatred against Jews and other minorities; creating crimes for hate preachers and community leaders who radicalize children; facilitate the cancellation of visas; and increasing penalties for hate crimes.
Muslim groups said they were not consulted about the laws. Rateb Jneid, president of the Federation of Islamic Councils of Australia, said he was concerned that the proposed new serious libel offense, which criminalises promoting hatred, would only apply to race rather than religion.
“In an environment where Islamophobia is on the rise, as demonstrated by the violent attack on an imam and his wife in Victoria yesterday, it is simply indefensible that laws designed to combat hatred exclude religion,” he said.
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“Hate fueled by religious bigotry can be just as dangerous and damaging as racial hatred. Any serious attempt to address hate speech needs to take this into account.”
Asked whether any Islamic groups had been consulted during the drafting of the legislation, a spokesman for Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said: “Consultation on the new laws is ongoing and has involved a range of experts and stakeholders, including the Jewish community.”
The Jewish people are considered an ethno-religious group; This means they may be protected under racial vilification laws as well as religious discrimination rules.
One of the striking new elements of the package of changes is the outlawing of groups that spread hatred and promote separatism. This imprint confirmed with government sources who could not speak publicly that the proposed laws would include a maximum prison sentence of 15 years for people who joined or donated to these groups after the government banned them.
Home Secretary Tony Burke has suggested neo-Nazi groups and radical Islamist group Hizb ut Tahrir, identified by national security agencies for their role in inciting hatred, could be in the line of fire.
Hizb ut Tahrir, which was revealed by this imprint to be behind the Stand4Palestine protest group, has signaled a legal challenge to the laws, but Attorney General Michelle Rowland said the government was prepared.
“There have long been organizations that have played a game of keeping themselves just below the legal threshold by spewing hatred, but not crossing the line into advocating outright violence,” Burke said.
“We are fed up with Australia-hating organizations gaming Australian laws.”
Peter Wertheim, co-chairman of the Executive Council of Australian Jews, welcomed the announcement of the new laws and described it as a “hopeful sign”.
“The country cannot risk a new round of reforms that will fall short of providing the level of protection it claims to provide,” he said.
Advocating for tougher hate speech laws, Independent MP Allegra Harcama said the law should protect all minority groups, including those based on religion, gender, sexuality and disability, as well as race.
“Neo-Nazis target Jews, Muslims, LGBTIQ+ Australians and people living with disabilities, for example,” he said.
“And while Australian Jews are rightly at the center of concern right now, leaders of the Jewish community clearly support legislation that protects more than just race.”
