Premier Chris Minns has ruled out the New South Wales Government repealing its new hate speech laws, despite repeated claims the bill was rushed through Parliament. Source: ABC News.
Last month, the state Government passed hate speech laws that introduced a maximum penalty of two years in prison or fines of up to $11,000 for intentionally inciting racial hatred.
The changes were introduced to Parliament after Nazi symbols and antisemitic phrases were graffitied onto synagogues, homes and cars in Sydney.
The laws do not cover other forms of hatred based on religion, sexuality or gender.
However, police disclosed that a number of these antisemitic acts were not ideologically motivated and were instead orchestrated by organised criminals.
Greens MLC Sue Higginson said it was important for Parliament to question these “substandard laws”.
“It is really important that the Premier is held to question about what has happened and the state now of our criminal laws, these are very serious laws. The workability of these laws is really questionable,” she said.
“Fixing mistakes or errors or bad decisions is always the right thing to do.”
However, Mr Minns yesterday said the laws would not be repealed, citing the importance of maintaining social cohesion.
“I want to make clear the NSW Government will not be repealing hate speech laws passed in Parliament last month,” he said in a statement.
“Our laws criminalised intentionally and publicly inciting hatred towards another person, or group, based on race.
“They send a clear message: the people of New South Wales stand together against inciting racial hatred in our great multicultural state.”
He said the laws were drafted in response to “appalling racial hatred” targeting the Jewish community but would apply to anyone.
“In response to calls for the laws to be scrapped, doing so would be a toxic message to our community that this kind of hate speech is acceptable when it’s not,” he said.
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Chris Minns defends rushing hate speech laws through state Parliament (By Joshua Boscaini and Danuta Kozaki, ABC News)
