National LGBTIQA+ advocacy group Equality Australia is calling on the Albanese Government to extend hate speech protections and get the bill through parliament.
The call follows an outcry from a range of advocacy groups, who say the proposed laws exclude many vulnerable communities in need of protection.
Both The Greens and the Coalition are opposed to the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill in its current form, posing significant challenges for the government, who recalled parliament early specifically to address this issue in the wake of the Bondi Beach attack.
While Liberal leader Sussan Ley has deemed the bill “unsalvagable” and criticised the government for rushing the process, despite repeatedly pushing for rapid action, the Greens are pushing for protections to be expanded.
Greens senator David Shoebridge said it was unacceptable that the proposed legislation did not cover all forms of hate, including on the basis of sexuality, gender and religion.
Equality Australia Legal Director Heather Corkhill says parliament has an opportunity to deliver lasting protections for LGBTIQA+ people, people of minority faith and people with disability by working with The Greens and crossbenchers.
“Given the well-established link between hate speech and violence, leaving any group unprotected implies their safety matters less and that violence against them is tolerated,” Corkhill said.
“Creating a hierarchy of protections fractures social cohesion and compromises the integrity and effectiveness of the law.
“The Bondi attack demands an urgent response, but this bill must do more: it must protect all Australians from future acts of violence.
“Parliament can pass a bill next week with straightforward amendments to include our communities, especially since the criminal law being amended already recognises us as an at-risk group.”
In alignment with the Greens, Corkhill noted concerns about the bill, including freedom of speech and protest rights.
“While the balance is challenging, we can get this bill right with targeted amendments. Strong safeguards, including the requirement to prove intent and a long-standing public interest speech defence, are designed to protect free expression and legitimate public debate,” Corkhill said.
“Allowing this process to drag on will only deepen societal division and make meaningful protections against hate less likely. LGBTIQ+ people are facing alarming, deliberate attacks and we need protections now, not years down the track.”
