Labor and the Coalition are within sight of a deal to pass new laws against violent hate speech when federal Parliament resumes in February, as both major parties vow to act on antisemitism. Source: The Age.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the Albanese Government would move to pass the laws as soon as possible after returning to Australia yesterday from a visit to Israel and the West Bank.
The comment came after the Coalition’s shadow attorney-general, Michaelia Cash, said the Opposition was ready to pass the laws as long as the Government agreed to make it a crime to threaten places of worship including synagogues.
While the moves bring an agreement on hate crime within sight, the two sides appear at odds on a proposal from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton yesterday to impose mandatory minimum sentences of one year for displaying the flags of terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as introducing six-year terms for committing a terrorist act.
Mr Dreyfus introduced the hate crimes bill to Parliament last September, but the changes were not included in the rush of laws pushed through in December, raising doubts about when they would be approved.
“Right now, the Government has a bill before the Parliament to criminalise hate speech,” Mr Dreyfus said.
“And we want that legislation passed as soon as possible.”
Mr Dreyfus challenged the Coalition to back the bill, but Senator Cash said the Coalition was ready to vote for the changes as soon as Parliament returned in February.
“Back in October we said we were ready to work constructively to pass the Hate Crimes Bill as quickly as possible,” Senator Cash said.
“We want to see that bill strengthened to include urging or threatening attacks against places of worship and passed when Parliament meets again in February.”
But the Government argues the draft changes already protect places of worship, saying the laws would protect a church, for instance, against someone urging followers to perpetrate violence.
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Coalition to PM: Bring on hate speech crackdown (By David Crowe and Paul Sakkal, The Age)
