By Dominic Giannini and Grace Crivellaro
Parliament will be recalled early to pass hate speech laws following the Bondi terror attack that claimed 15 lives and injured dozens more.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says federal parliament will return next Monday to debate a bill aimed at combating anti-Semitism, hate speech and extremism.
“It’s a comprehensive package of reforms which creates serious offences for hate preachers and leaders seeking to radicalise young Australians,” Mr Albanese said on Monday.
The proposed legislation will increase penalties for hate crimes, ensure motivations of extremism will be considered in sentencing, and create a new offence for inciting hatred in order to intimidate or harass.
It will also expand and strengthen the existing ban on prohibited Nazi symbols and make it easier for Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to cancel or refuse visas for people intent on spreading hatred.
“Let me be clear – once these laws are passed, they will be the toughest hate laws Australia has ever seen,” Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said.
“They will specifically target those who seek to spread hatred and disrupt social cohesion in our community.”
Parliament will recommence with a condolence motion next Monday to recognise the trauma of the Bondi attack and honour bystanders and first responders for saving lives.
“This motion will unequivocally condemn the terrorist atrocity perpetrated at Bondi Beach and commit our parliament to eradicating the evil of anti-Semitism,” Mr Albanese said.
The bill will also set up the National Guns Buyback Scheme, which will limit the number of firearms one person can own and make Australian citizenship a condition of holding a gun licence.
“The terrorists at Bondi Beach had hatred in their minds, but guns in their hands – this law will deal with both,” Mr Albanese said.
Existing laws “fell well short of community expectations and have left the community unprotected against egregious forms of hate speech”, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said.
“The concerns we have been expressing for many years have become especially acute since the horrific events at Bondi Beach on December 14,” he said.
“Such events make all Australians unsafe, not just those who are targeted.
“We welcome the fact that the government has announced plans to address these issues in the near future.”
WHAT’S HAPPENING
* Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced parliament will be recalled early for two days from January 19 to pass strengthened hate speech laws following the massacre at Bondi Beach
* Parliament was originally slated to return on February 3 for the first week of sittings
* Labor faced mounting pressure for weeks over its response to the terror attack, with the coalition saying parliament should be called back early and calling for a royal commission into anti-Semitism to be set up in the days following the incident
WHAT ARE THE PROPOSED CHANGES
* Draft laws include an aggravated hate speech offence for preachers and leaders who promote violence, and hate will be made an aggravating factor in sentencing crimes related to online threats and harassment
* Expanded powers would be given to the home affairs minister to cancel or reject visas for those spreading hate and division in Australia
* A national guns buyback scheme will be set up under the legislation, which the prime minister says will bring Australia’s gun laws into the 21st century
WHAT’S BEEN SAID
* “We also want to make it clear that conduct which is hateful, dangerous and divisive will also be illegal, because just as anti-Semitism and racism are an offence against our Australian values, they should be an offence against Australian law” – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
* “Once these laws are passed, they will be the toughest hate laws Australia has ever seen” – Attorney-General Michelle Rowland
* “We are deeply sceptical of the prime minister’s decision to introduce a single bill that will attempt to cover multiple complex and unrelated policy areas” – Opposition Leader Sussan Ley