US EditionAustralia's hate speech, gun law reforms face free speech concerns
The bill includes a gun buyback, enhanced penalties, and new offences targeting hate preachers and extremist groups, aiming to curb rising hate and extremist threats, officials said.
- On Jan 15, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recalled Federal Parliament to sit next Monday and Tuesday to consider a combined bill authorising a gun buyback and lowering the bar for hate speech prosecutions after the December 14 Bondi Beach massacre that killed fifteen people.
- The government says the reforms respond to `words matter`, citing ASIO warnings about groups like the Nationalist Socialist Network and Hizbut al-Tahrir, and links to the January 22, 2026 national day of mourning.
- The bill creates new criminal offences and penalties, including targeting hate preachers and organisers with up to 15 years in prison, alongside a gun buyback and tightened firearm background checks.
- Senior conservatives have pushed back, saying the draft is rushed and unsalvageable with a typo on anti‑Semitism, while the Greens party said on Jan 15 it would not support the bill, forcing Labor to negotiate with the Greens in the Senate if the Coalition opposes it.
- Legal and civil‑liberties advisers caution that a narrow religious-text carve-out and vague drafting risk loopholes, while migration law changes and ASIO listing and recommendation powers raise enforcement and constitutional concerns under Section 116 of the Constitution.
69 Articles
69 Articles
Free Speech Under Fire as Australia Pushes Tough New Hate Laws
Australia’s federal government is facing mounting criticism over a proposed hate-speech crackdown that opponents warn could dramatically curtail free expression while granting sweeping new powers to the state. The Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, introduced this month by the Labor government of Anthony Albanese, would create new federal offences for “publicly promoting or inciting hatred,” with penalties of up to 15 years in…
Hate speech and gun control laws proposed by the Australian government in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach mass shooting were criticised by conservative opposition and Greens parties on Thursday, putting in question whether they can pass.
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Controversial Gun Control and Hate Speech Bill Sparks Debate in Australia
The Australian government's proposed gun control and hate speech laws face criticism from both conservative opposition and the Greens. The bill aims to authorise a gun buyback and lower the threshold for prosecuting hate speech. Concerns have been raised over free speech and the impact on political protest.
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