Parliament recalled as government moves to tighten hate laws

Federal parliament will reconvene in Canberra on 19 and 20 January to consider new laws targeting antisemitism, hate crimes and extremism in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack, with the government seeking broad bipartisan support.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would advise the Speaker to recall the House of Representatives, with the Senate sitting in parallel. Proceedings will begin with a condolence motion honouring the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack, acknowledging survivors, and recognising first responders.

Albanese said the wording of the motion had been agreed across party lines, allowing parliament to present a united front against terrorism and antisemitism.

Following the condolence debate, the government will introduce the Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, which was developed in the weeks after the attack. The bill is expected to be introduced on Monday and debated in the House on Tuesday before moving to the Senate. He also indicated he Anthony Albanese will push to make incitement of hatred a crime and ban hate groups like radical Islamists Hizb Ut Tahrir and neo-Nazis.

“The terrorists at Bondi Beach had hatred in their minds and lethal weapons in their hands,” Albanese said. “These reforms deal with both.”

The legislation will create new federal offences for serious hate conduct, increase penalties where crimes are motivated by hatred, and require courts to consider extremist intent during sentencing.

It will also expand offences for inciting hatred to threaten or menace, broaden bans on extremist symbols, and introduce a framework for designating Prohibited Hate Groups, making membership, recruitment, funding or support a criminal offence.

The government has also flagged stronger visa powers to allow the Home Affairs Minister to refuse or cancel visas for non-citizens who promote racial hatred or extremism.

The bill will be referred to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security for expedited scrutiny, with submissions to be invited before the committee reports back to parliament.

Jewish community leaders have welcomed the recall of parliament but cautioned that the details of the legislation will be critical.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said the announcement was encouraging but warned against reforms that do not go far enough.

“We welcome today’s announcement and the details of the proposed legislation that were referred to by the Prime Minister. This is a promising sign. The country cannot risk another round of reforms that will fall short of providing the level of protection that it is claimed they provide. We will have more to say when the bill is released and we can assess its specific provisions,” he said.

Business leader Steven Lowy has also urged politicians to treat the legislation as a national issue rather than a partisan one. Speaking to The Australian, Lowy said laws and policing were necessary but insufficient on their own, arguing that cultural change was also required to counter antisemitism.

“This issue is an Australian issue,” Lowy said. “It’s not a left issue, it’s not a right issue, it’s not Labour, it’s not the Coalition, it’s not the Greens. This is important for all of our country.”

Lowy has also pointed to the newly announced Royal Commission into antisemitism and social cohesion as an opportunity to examine deeper causes, including migration settings and the way extremist ideologies take root in Australia. The commission will be chaired by former High Court justice Virginia Bell and is expected to report by late 2026.

While the government says it is confident of strong parliamentary support, negotiations are continuing over the scope of the new offences and safeguards for lawful speech. Coalition figures have indicated concern about overreach, while Greens MPs have argued that weak laws risk leaving entrenched antisemitism unaddressed.

Albanese said national unity was essential as parliament returned.

“This is about protecting Australians,” he said. “It’s about making sure hatred and extremism have no place in our country.”