Jewish group urges changes, delay to hate speech reform
An influential Jewish group says hate speech reforms should be delayed and divided to ensure the support needed to pass anti-Semitism measures.
The Labor Party’s legislative proposals, prepared in response to the 14 December Bondi massacre, will be discussed on Monday when parliament convenes early.
The bill would need the support of the coalition or the Greens to pass the Senate, but both have said they do not support the bill in its current form.
In a submission to the parliamentary inquiry examining the changes, the Australian Council on Israeli and Jewish Affairs said it would support a “short delay” in passing the bill for further consideration and review.
“A possible additional advantage of such a delay would be to provide the opportunity to maximize national political consensus in favor of new legislation addressing racial hatred and slander, which AIJAC also sees as highly desirable,” the application states.
The group recommends splitting the firearms-related sections of the bill into separate pieces of legislation to ensure disagreements over gun reform do not block passage of new hate speech laws.
In addition to establishing a national gun buyback plan, the bill includes measures such as cracking down on hate preachers and introducing hate speech and racial slander crimes.
Citizens expressed their opposition to gun reform on behalf of farmers.
Coalition members will meet virtually on Friday afternoon to discuss concerns about the bill and provide feedback on the position that should be taken.
The talks will be chaired by Liberal senator Jonno Duniam, who was a member of the parliamentary committee that investigated the bill earlier this week.
Labor senator Raff Ciccone, chairman of Parliament’s Joint Intelligence and Security Committee, is drafting the report as he seeks to uphold the group’s tradition of bipartisanship.
The committee is likely to work over the weekend as it races to prepare the report before parliament meets.
There will be a meeting of the Labor Party on Monday morning.
The Executive Council of Australian Jews called on the coalition to vote in favor of the law, urging it “not to let the perfect become the enemy of the good”.
The government faced relentless pressure from the coalition to call parliament early in the days and weeks following the terrorist attack; The opposition now criticizes the bill as rushed.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley described the bill as “unsalvageable”, while some Liberal MPs cited issues they said would limit freedom of expression.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said the bill could lead to unintended consequences and harm political and civil rights.
The minor party remains in talks with Labor but continues to consult legal groups about the bill.
Representatives of faith groups called on the government to delay the bill to allow it to be examined, arguing that religious organizations could fail if the reforms were passed without changes.
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