Leeser’s Private Bill makes display of Nazi symbols and gestures a criminal offence
Liberal MP and Shadow Attorney Julian Leeser has moved a Private Member’s Bill, which will make public display of Nazi symbols and gestures a criminal offence.
Julian Leeser
The Bill reads:
A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person publicly displays a Nazi symbol; and
(b) the person knows that the symbol is a Nazi symbol.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 months or 100 penalty units.
The Bill includes “Nazi symbol includes, but is not limited to, giving the Nazi salute”.
It will not apply if “a person has a reasonable excuse; or the display is for a genuine scientific, educational or artistic purpose; or the display is part of a communication made for the purposes of, or in the course of, a person’s work as a journalist in a professional capacity; or the display is for a purpose that is in the public interest.
To avoid doubt, the display of a swastika in connection with Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism does not constitute the display of a Nazi symbol.”
Responding to news that Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser moved a private member’s bill to amend the Commonwealth Criminal Code to include a prohibition against displaying Nazi symbols, including giving Nazi salutes, AIJAC Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said,“AIJAC supports measures to prevent Australia’s community being subjected to the hatred, disharmony and intimidation exemplified by Nazi symbols and salutes. We would therefore support the Federal Parliament acting to implement such measures, as we have supported states that have done and are doing so. We therefore commend Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser for his initiative and hope that it or something like it is enacted.
“While legislation banning these hateful displays is an important first step, we also urge both levels of government to look at acting in a more holistic way to combat the ideology that gives rise to them,” Dr Rubenstein concluded.
