Labor’s hate speech and gun bill set to fail after Coalition and Greens rule out support

Labor’s proposed hate speech and gun laws look set to fail in federal parliament after both the Coalition and the Greens ruled out support, prompting angry claims of hypocrisy from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The draft bill, introduced in response to the Bondi terror attack that killed 15 people, has drawn criticism from Coalition leader Sussan Ley, who called the plan 'pretty unsalvageable' and said it did not adequately fight antisemitism or Islamic extremism.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) urged the Coalition to seek amendments rather than oppose the bill, with ECAJ co-chief Peter Wertheim saying Ley should 'not allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good' and that the draft would offer urgent new protections, including powers to legally designate hate groups.

Ley said the bill lacked provisions banning phrases such as 'globalise the intifada' and 'from the river to the sea', which Jewish leaders consider antisemitic, and accused the government of rushing the laws after bureaucrats could not explain them. She said the government had failed to deliver a condolence motion or immediate action.

The Greens said they would not support the legislation in its current form, arguing laws must protect everyone and must not curtail protest rights, including for pro-Palestinian groups; Greens leader Larissa Waters said 'we won’t support it in its current form'.

Key Topics

Politics, Labor Party, Bondi Terror Attack, Sussan Ley, Anthony Albanese, Greens