Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has declared proposed new laws designed to combat hate speech and tighten gun controls are a critical and direct "response" to the recent Bondi Junction terror attack.
Laws Target "Bigotry and Guns" After Bondi Tragedy
Appearing on Sunrise on Thursday, Burke defended the legislation against growing criticism from the Opposition. The proposed reforms would combine gun law changes with measures to criminalise incitement of racial hatred, carrying severe penalties. Preachers or spiritual leaders found guilty could face jail terms of up to 10 years.
"We have to deal with what happened at Bondi," Burke stated. "We have to deal with the motivation and the method. We have to deal with the why and the how. And those two (alleged) terrorists, they had bigotry in their minds and guns in their hands and this legislation is a response to both."
Controversial Exemptions and Opposition Backlash
The bill has sparked debate, particularly due to an exemption for statements made in the course of explaining or discussing religious texts. The Opposition has criticised this provision, as well as the speed at which the laws have been drafted and brought before parliament.
Burke urged bipartisan support, framing the laws as essential for tackling anti-Semitism. "Part of dealing with the evil of anti-Semitism is having stronger laws against racist bigotry than we currently have and that’s what’s in front of the parliament," he said.
He directly challenged the Opposition, stating, "If the Opposition, after all of this, oppose the exact sorts of legislation they’ve been calling for, then the hypocrisy of what they’ve been calling for the last four weeks is just really disappointing."
Legal Experts Examine Potential Impact
Legal expert Justin Quill, a partner at Thomson Geer, highlighted the significant scope of the proposed changes. The reforms would expand existing offences for promoting violence against a race or religion to include nationality.
"That’s obviously designed to capture people speaking hate about people of Israeli background," Quill noted. "But it could, of course, capture a Russian saying something about a Ukrainian or vice versa."
Quill also pointed out that the aggravated offence with the 10-year maximum penalty applies where the perpetrator is a preacher or where the hate speech targets a person under 18. He suggested controversial political chants, such as "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," could theoretically fall under the new laws, depending on the context and intent.
The legislation now faces scrutiny as it moves through the parliamentary process, with its broad definitions and severe penalties set to be a focal point of national debate.
