Elise Archer

About 30 men dressed in black performed the salute at the rally on Saturday outside Victoria’s parliament where UK anti-transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull spoke.

It prompted the Victorian government to move to ban the salute, although the state’s attorney-general admitted it would take “some work” to get proposed laws right.

The Tasmanian Liberal government on Tuesday announced it would also introduce legislation to ban the salute.

The state government was coincidentally planning to table legislation this week that would ban the display of Nazi symbols in public.

Attorney-General Elise Archer said immediate action would be taken to amend the bill and incorporate the changes.

“It was deeply concerning to see the abhorrent actions of a group of protesters in Melbou rne over the weekend and we do not want that in Tasmania,” she said.

“The use of the Nazi salute is offensive, distressing and a breach of our community and moral standards.

“I want everyone in our community to feel safe from these disturbing displays whether it be Nazi symbols or saluting, as they can cause hate and fear.

“I believe these reforms will be nation-leading and will build on our commitment to create a more caring community for all Tasmanians.”

Ms Keen-Minshull is slated to speak at a rally outside state parliament house in Hobart, after the state’s Greens wrote to parliament decision makers urging them to prevent it from happening.

Tasmania’s lower house Speaker Mark Shelton and upper house president Craig Farrell have ruled out intervention.

“The lawns at parliament have always been a gathering place for democratic activity including protests of all persuasions,” they said in a joint statement.

“While there may a t times be opposing views to the protests occurring, censoring free speech is not in the interest of a democratic society.

“All protests are expected to be conducted peacefully and lawfully.”

Equality Tasmania has planned a concurrent sit-in outside parliament house, with hundreds of people registering their attendance on Facebook.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said banning the Nazi salute, also known as Sieg Heil, would be complex and the government would carefully draft the bill.

“There are some other jurisdictions, some European countries who have successfully been able to do this,” he said.

“There have been some challenges, as in court challenges, and then they’ve had to refine their laws.

“We’ll look to all of them and make sure that we do this in the most practical and meaningful way, and try and do it in a way that it can’t be challenged in the courts.”

The protest has also sparked internal discontent in the Victorian Liberals, with leader John Pesutto trying to kick upper house MP Moira Deeming from the parliamentary party over her attendance.

AAP