Hate crimes reforms secure bipartisan backing as parliament fast tracks laws after Bondi attack

The federal government has secured crucial bipartisan backing for hate speech reforms, with the coalition declaring in principle support for legislation aimed at cracking down on antisemitism in the wake of the December 14 terrorist attack at a Jewish Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland introduced the draft laws to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, saying the reforms were intended to reinforce national unity and draw a firm line against racial hatred.

“Our nation is strongest when we choose respect over division, and we must continue to invest in a community where everyone belongs, where everyone can thrive,” Rowland said. She said passage of the combating antisemitism, hate and extremism, criminal and migration laws bill would be a decisive step forward, sending “a loud and unequivocal message” that Australians must stand united in the face of hatred.

Shadow attorney-general Andrew Wallace said the coalition would support the legislation in principle, after working to ensure the measures were targeted, proportionate and lawful.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is understood to have struck a deal with the government guaranteeing Liberal support for the reforms. The Nationals, however, have not formally declared their position on the legislation introduced following the Bondi massacre. A Liberal source said the party’s regional partner was still working out “who they are and what they stand for”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he wanted parliament to pass the reforms on Tuesday, having previously warned he would abandon the package this term if it failed to secure sufficient support.

The changes include stronger action against groups that promote hatred towards people of other faiths, tighter background checks for firearm owners, and the establishment of a national gun buyback scheme. Labor originally sought to introduce the gun and hate speech reforms as a single package, but was forced to split the bill after fierce opposition to proposed racial vilification provisions from both the coalition and the Greens.

The revised hate speech legislation allows the federal government to ban extremist organisations through a strengthened listing regime, likely affecting the neo-Nazi National Socialist Network and the radical Islamist collective Hizb ut-Tahrir. The bill also expands the government’s powers to refuse or cancel visas for people who express or promote extremist ideology.

Further amendments tighten the definition of a preacher or religious leader, introduce mandatory two-year parliamentary reviews of the laws, and require consultation with the opposition leader before an extremist organisation can be listed. Aggravated offences are designed to capture extremist Islamist preachers and visiting speakers.

Nationals MPs have continued to raise concerns about the impact of the reforms on free speech. Queensland senator Matt Canavan said the hate group listing framework was too broad and he could not support the bill in its current form.

“Giving a power to a government to ban an entire group is an extremely serious change to our laws,” Canavan told ABC Radio.

“The Nationals’ position is to abstain from voting in the House of Representatives, so that we can put forward amendments to the bill in the Senate to fix these issues,” explained Nationals leader David Littleproud.

The Greens have confirmed they will not support the hate speech legislation, arguing it risks limiting political commentary and protest, leaving the coalition as the only viable partner for Labor to pass the bill through the Senate. While provisions making it illegal to vilify someone based on race have been dropped, the revised legislation would still allow the government to effectively outlaw organisations that promote hatred.

The parliamentary debate has also been accompanied by controversy over comments from Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, who said “powerful forces” were seeking to use public grief after the Bondi attack for political purposes.

Faruqi later said she was referring to political actors and governments, not the Jewish community, but the remarks drew criticism from victims’ families and Jewish leaders, who said the language echoed antisemitic tropes and was deeply hurtful so soon after the attack. Faruqi rejected claims of antisemitism, while Greens leader Larissa Waters defended her colleague, saying political critique should not be conflated with hatred.

“When we have the Murdoch press, the Coalition, state premiers, One Nation and the Prime Minister of Israel trying to weaponise and politicise a horrific, violent event and a tragedy, then it is pretty obvious that there are powerful forces at play,” Senator Faruqi stated.

The laws are expected to pass the Senate with amendments before returning to the House of Representatives for final approval, marking one of the most significant changes to Australia’s hate crimes and extremism framework in years.

with AAP