Dr Anne Aly, the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, says the Albanese government may look at tackling other types of hate speech at a later date but is currently focusing on antisemitism.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that parliament will be recalled earlier than anticipated to look at proposed legislation to take gun ownership and hate speech in the wake of the Bondi massacre.
The approach taken by the government has been criticised for taking too narrow a view on what types of hate speech would be tackled, and rights advocates from different sectors have suggested it created a hierarchy of offence, that protects some sections of society while leaving others groups of people, including the LGBTIQA+ communities, exposed to hated and vilification.
The legislation put forward, which also includes gun ownership reforms, does not capture Isamaphobia or other forms of religious discrimination, instead it offers more penalties for racial vilification and bans specific extremist groups incuding radical Isamic group Hizb ut-Tajrir and neo-Nazi organisations.
Speaking to The Australian Dr Aly said the government might look at protections for other groups at a later time.
“No one in Australia should be subjected to any type of hate,” she told The Australian.
“Once the combating antisemitism, hate and extremism bill passes through parliament, the government is open to considering extending the protections to other forms of hate.” she said.
