The federal Coalition is risking political irrelevance by refusing to negotiate on proposed hate speech and gun legislation, a move that echoes its failed strategy on environmental law reform last year.
Opposition's 'perfect enemy of the good' strategy backfires
After weeks of criticising the Albanese government for being too slow to act following the Bondi attacks, the opposition has now made the perfect the enemy of the good. This is the same error they made with environmental law reform in 2025.
While the Greens have also rejected the legislation in its current form, the government has shown a willingness to work with them. Historical precedent suggests the Greens are more amenable to meeting Labor halfway than the Coalition. The Liberal National Party's intransigence risks a much worse legislative outcome than it could achieve through negotiation.
Political momentum squandered, moral high ground ceded
The conservatives risk losing all political momentum gained since December 14. They are handing the government the moral high ground, allowing Labor to present itself as the responsible party attempting to do the right thing. Labor has accused the Coalition of putting vested interests ahead of the greater good, a familiar cycle where they demand action then complain the solution doesn't match their exact ideological specifications.
The proposed legislation, introduced in early 2026, is not perfect. Critics including Goldstein MP Tim Wilson and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley have raised valid concerns about the breadth of racial vilification provisions and potential loopholes from religious text exemptions. These are serious matters deserving scrutiny, but the parliamentary process is designed to refine such details, not serve as an excuse for abandoning the field entirely.
Abdicating responsibility empowers the crossbench
By refusing to compromise, the government has no choice but to turn to the crossbench. The Greens have flagged willingness to work with Labor, but their price will be high. Reports suggest they will push for even broader protections targeting hate speech against Muslims and the LGBTIQ+ community. The Liberals are effectively guaranteeing a more far-reaching legislative package than currently proposed, creating the scenario they claim to oppose.
This episode reveals the right-wing's ascendancy within the opposition, with the National Party tail wagging the Liberal Party dog. The Nationals have flatly rejected any legislation including gun restrictions, prioritising firearms lobby interests over clear security agency advice. With ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess describing an environment where groups are "driving permission for violence," ignoring that warning for factional purity is reckless.
Conservative voices like Andrew Hastie and Ben Small frame these laws as an unprecedented assault on freedom, yet former Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo identifies this as necessary evolution of counter-terrorism defences. Politics requires balancing free speech with protecting citizens from incitement to violence.
The Coalition had an opportunity to demonstrate bipartisan leadership on national security, a traditional strength. Instead, they've retreated into naysaying and division. The government attempts to protect laws against rising extremism; the opposition should help pour the concrete, not throw sand in the gears. They will have only themselves to blame if final laws reflect Greens priorities rather than mainstream Australian concerns.
