NSW parliament passes hate speech and antisemitism laws amid heated debate
New South Wales Parliament passed landmark hate speech and antisemitism legislation early today following intense overnight debate.
David Ossip
The new laws include the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Racial and Religious Hatred) Bill 2025, the Crimes Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025, and the Crimes Amendment (Inciting Racial Hatred) Bill 2025.
Under these laws, obstructing or intimidating worshippers carries penalties up to two years imprisonment and/or $22,000 fines. The laws criminalize inciting racial or religious hatred and severely punish displaying Nazi symbols near Jewish institutions.
NSW Premier Chris Minns emphasized, “Our package of legislation is a strong response to recent anti-Semitism, but it will also protect people of all races.”
David Ossip, President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, welcomed these measures as “critical and urgent,” expressing gratitude to both the government and opposition for their support. However, he voiced concern about amendments introducing broader exemptions for “religious discussion,” cautioning this might hinder enforcement against hate preachers. “Genuine religious discussion should never include incitement to racial hatred, but this exemption will give those who wish to spread hate a much broader defence,” Ossip said.
Labor criticized the Coalition and Greens for weakening the bill by imposing a three-year sunset clause and requiring parliamentary review instead of ministerial oversight. NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley accused the opposition of teaming with the Greens to dilute the laws.
Despite these concerns, Ossip expressed cautious optimism. “With new laws in place and continued police efforts, we hope NSW is edging closer to the end of this wave of domestic terrorism targeted at the Jewish community,” he concluded.
