Shadow cabinet agrees to work with Labor on hate speech laws after Bondi attack

A deal on new hate speech laws is increasingly likely after Sussan Ley’s shadow cabinet agreed to work with Labor to pass the legislation in a special parliamentary sitting in response to the Bondi beach massacre. The opposition leader met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday to discuss a compromise after MPs returned to Canberra to mark the 14 December terrorist attack.

Albanese split his draft laws, shelving a contentious anti-racial vilification provision and carving out gun control measures into a separate bill. Firearms reforms are guaranteed to pass with the support of the Greens; the laws will establish the biggest gun buy‑back since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre and require intelligence agencies, including ASIO, to conduct criminal background checks when individuals apply for a firearms licence.

The fate of wider changes to tackle antisemitism hinges on a deal between Labor and the Coalition. The remaining parts of the bill include new powers to ban hate groups, such as neo‑Nazi organisations and the Islamist organisation Hizb ut‑Tahrir, and to revoke or refuse visas for people with extremist views seeking to come to Australia.

Shadow cabinet met on Sunday night and resolved to work with Labor to pass the bill on Tuesday, "subject to amendments." A joint Coalition party room meeting had not been scheduled as of 2pm on Monday, suggesting negotiations were still under way.

Key Topics

Politics, Sussan Ley, Anthony Albanese, Bondi Beach Massacre, Labor Party, Coalition