US EditionAlbanese Tells Reporters to Read the Old Testament in Hate Speech Law Defence
The bill introduces a new hate offence based on a reasonable fear threshold and expands firearm controls including a national buyback and broader background checks.
- Next week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will recall parliament to sit for two days to debate the Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill, which includes a new hate offence and gun reforms.
- As framed by the Labor government, the bill aims to address hatred and firearms risks after the Bondi terror attack, with Labor saying it targets both hateful conduct and weapons in one response.
- The draft specifies a narrow defence for religious texts, stating the new federal hate offence exempts conduct quoting or referencing religious texts for teaching, while noting translations of religious texts might be captured.
- Immediate legal effects include harsher penalties and new listing powers, as the bill sets maximum penalties up to five years and creates a prohibited hate‑group listing regime while expanding firearm vetting through the AusCheck system with ASIO and ACIC intelligence.
- Opposition Leader Sussan Ley argued the bill should be split, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected splitting but welcomed constructive changes; Independent MP Allegra Spender will seek broader protections amid criticism from the Coalition and the Nationals.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Australia to Combine Hate Speech & Gun Control In One Vague Bill
A draft of Australia’s Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill, seen by the ABC, creates a new federal offense making it illegal to publicly promote or incite racial hatred where the conduct would cause a reasonable person to feel intimidated, harassed, or fear violence. It is combined with new gun restriction laws. The legislation includes […] The post Australia to Combine Hate Speech & Gun Control In One Vague Bill appeared first on ww…
Australians Sound Alarm Over New Draconian "Hate" Bill · Caldron Pool
The Australian government has released a draft of what it describes as its most far-reaching federal hate speech legislation, a proposal that significantly expands criminal penalties for speech and grants sweeping new powers to the executive, raising alarms among free speech advocates and legal observers. The legislation, titled the Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, was drafted following the December 2025 terrorist attack at …
The Standard
What's inside the new hate speech and gun reform bill
The Albanese government has unveiled a draft bill proposing to criminalise hate speech and reform firearms laws one...
Sydney Morning Herald
PM’s Jewish ally warns hate speech exemptions for religious texts ‘a relic of the past’
In their current form, new offences for aggravated hate speech and serious vilification to be tabled in Parliament on Monday will not apply to religious teachings or discussions, a move that provides legal cover for the government but could allow religious leaders to highlight controversial scriptures that discriminate based on ethnicity.
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