Attorney general says new hate speech laws will be toughest in commonwealth history

Australia’s attorney general, Michelle Rowland, said new laws aimed at countering hate speech will be crafted to address the “pure evil” of the Bondi terror attack and help keep Australians safe. Rowland told RN Breakfast that once passed the measures will be “the toughest hate speech laws the commonwealth has ever had.”

Rowland said every level of government has a primary responsibility to protect citizens and described the package as “designed to protect Australians”. She said the government had consulted with both Christian and Muslim religious groups and that those conversations were ongoing, adding the package had been carefully designed to address issues arising from the Bondi attack.

The prime minister is due to speak about the legislation shortly and has confirmed parliament will be recalled for two days next week to progress the bill; the sitting will include condolence motions for the 15 people killed at Bondi. Reporters have also flagged a possible loophole in the draft that could allow someone accused of hate speech to plead innocent if they were quoting a religious text, and consultations on the measures are continuing.

Key Topics

Politics, Michelle Rowland, Bondi Terror Attack, Anthony Albanese, Hate Speech Laws, Australian Government