PM recalls parliament to fast-track hate speech and gun laws in wake of Bondi terror attack | Bondi beach terror attack

Anthony Albanese will push the Coalition and Greens to support emergency legislation proposing tougher hate speech laws and gun reform, bringing MPs back to Canberra next Monday in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.

The prime minister, who called parliament two weeks early, said hate speech and anti-defamation laws would be considered in the same legislation as provisions to create the biggest arms buyback program since the Port Arthur massacre.

But he denied the plan was an attempt to squeeze the Nationals and Liberals who oppose tougher rules on gun ownership.

“The terrorists at Bondi Beach had hatred in their minds but guns in their hands. This law will deal with both,” Albanese said.

Albanese confirmed that parliament will meet for two days on January 19 and 20. Parliament was due to return for the year on February 3.

The government has promised to crack down on so-called “hate preachers” by creating a new racial libel offense and listing the groups as banned hate groups, a lower threshold than listing terrorist groups.

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Jewish groups, the opposition and MPs will be briefed on the hate speech legislation this afternoon, and the bill will be made public tomorrow.

The legislation will also be reviewed by the Parliament’s Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security before it comes into force.

The Prime Minister did not confirm whether he had received bipartisan support from the opposition for the plan, but said he expected the legislation to pass the Senate on Tuesday night.

The laws will increase penalties for hate crimes and ensure that this situation is taken into account in the sentences of criminals whose crimes are committed with extremist motives.

The bill would also create a new framework for the home secretary to list organizations as banned hate groups and create a national arms buyback plan.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said the laws would be “the toughest hate laws Australia has ever seen”.

“They will specifically target people who seek to spread hatred and disrupt social harmony in our society. And this will send a clear message that this behavior will not be tolerated,” Rowland said.

Albanese denied the bill was rushed through parliament and said all parties would have a week to consider it.

“There have been times when legislation has been passed in one day and moved through both houses, people will be given a week before parliament meets to consider that legislation, we will give the opposition a full briefing this afternoon… I have a meeting scheduled with [Greens leader] Larissa Waters this afternoon. “We will make the authorities available to all crossbenchers as well as the Greens from tomorrow,” he said.

“I think it’s an emergency, but [it’s] paired with doing it right.

The government consulted with Jewish groups in drafting hate speech reforms. Albanese confirmed he met with Peter Wertheim, President of the Executive Council of Australian Jews, on Monday.

Wertheim welcomed the government’s tightening of laws before Albanese announced the recall of parliament, but warned they had to be done properly.

“It is very important that these reforms live up to their bill. The country cannot accept a new round of reforms that do not do the job expected of them,” Wertheim said.

Opposition leader Sussan Ley said she would take the government’s law into account, but in her response to Bondi, she warned Albanians not to be used in politics.

“We remain extremely skeptical of the Prime Minister’s decision to introduce a single bill that would seek to cover multiple complex and unrelated policy areas; talking points, for example, are clearly separate from the ownership and management of firearms,” ​​Ley said in a statement.

“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 encouraging division, not creating unity.”

On Thursday the prime minister announced a royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion, reversing his earlier opposition to the federal inquiry after widespread public and political pressure.