By Karl Hoerr -
Organisations will be able to be listed as prohibited hate groups, as part of a series of new laws announced by the Prime Minister, in response to the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in December.
Speaking in Canberra, Anthony Albanese said the Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill will go before Parliament when it is recalled next week.
As part of the Bill, the Home Affairs Minister will be given new powers to deal with hate groups. “Once an organisation is listed, it will be a criminal offence to be a member, to recruit for it, to donate or receive funds or support that group in any way,” said Albanese.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke specifically mentioned the Nazi group National Socialist Network, as well as Hizb ut-Tahrir, who he said had both been careful not to explicitly call for violence themselves.
“They’ve kept themselves below that threshold,” said Burke. “This Bill will lower that threshold and lower that threshold to the extent that we can within the Constitution. We have had enough of organisations that hate Australia playing games with Australian law.”
Attorney General Michelle Rowland said the “vital” laws had been developed in a relatively short period of time. “Let me be clear,” said Rowland. “Once these laws are passed, they will be the toughest hate laws Australia has ever seen.”
She said a new offence will target those who promote or threaten violence against protected groups or members of those groups. “There’ll be increases in penalties for hate speech offences relating to advocating or threatening force or violence against protected groups or members of groups and their property,” said Rowland. “It will make racial hatred an aggravating factor in sentencing in a number of Commonwealth crimes.”
Among other changes proposed is to make it easier for the Immigration Minister to cancel the visas of those visiting Australia, allowing racial bigotry of itself to be used as justification, not just the extent of possible social discord caused by a speaking tour, for example.
The Bill will also introduce changes to gun laws, bringing in what the government has described as a ‘two hurdle process’, before someone can be issued with a gun licence.
“[W]hich will allow the intelligence that is held by ASIO and by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to be able to (be) used to create the extra layer of caution if somebody is themselves a risk when they’re applying or if the risk resides in a member of their family or a member of their household,” said Burke.
The Bill will be referred to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and the government says the public will have an opportunity to make submissions.
