Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday that the country’s parliament will be recalled early to introduce new hate speech and gun legislation.
This is coming in the wake of the December 14 Bondi Beach terror attack.
Posting on X, the prime minister said: “We’re bringing Parliament back early to pass new laws combatting antisemitism and cracking down on illegal guns.
“Standing against hate. Strengthening our security.”
Accompanied by a video, Albanese explained at a press conference that both houses will return on January 19 and 20, ahead of the previously scheduled resumption on February 2.
“The terrorists at Bondi Beach had hatred in their minds but guns in their hands. This law will deal with both, and we need to deal with both,” he said.
The proposed “Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill” contains a broad package of reforms.
It introduces tougher penalties for hate crimes, establishes new serious offences for hate preachers seeking to radicalise young Australians, and criminalises incitement intended to intimidate or harass others.
The bill also strengthens the ban on prohibited symbols.
If passed, the legislation will give the “minister for home affairs expanded powers to cancel or refuse visas for individuals intent on spreading hatred and to designate organisations as prohibited hate groups.”
The government plans to move a condolence motion to acknowledge the victims of the Bondi attack before debating the bill.
In addition, the legislation will implement the “National Guns Buyback Scheme,” designed to remove illegal firearms from Australian streets.
“We want to ensure that Australia remains a society where everyone has the right to be proud of who they are, and we also want to make it clear that conduct which is hateful, dangerous, and divisive will also be illegal,” the prime minister said.
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