MEDIA STATEMENT FROM THE MEMBER FOR CAPRICORNIA MICHELLE LANDRY MP
The Albanese Government’s proposed hate speech omnibus bill has been cobbled together like a shonky salesman, bundling serious hate speech reforms with unrelated gun control measures in a way that raises serious concerns about process, intent and national safety.
Let us be clear: the Prime Minister was dragged kicking and screaming to both a Commonwealth Royal Commission and to strengthening hate speech laws. If he were genuine about confronting hate and extremism, he would introduce stand-alone hate speech legislation, not deliberately muddy the waters by tying it to firearms laws.
Importantly, the Coalition was not provided with the legislation prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement. This was deliberate and sneaky.
We only received the bill late yesterday, 144 pages of legislation and a further 319 pages of explanatory material. We are now carefully reviewing all 523 pages and consulting with key stakeholders, including the Jewish community and national security experts, before forming a considered position in the coming days.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security inquiry, will be an important forum to hear evidence from experts and affected communities. The Coalition will engage constructively in that process.
However, we remain deeply sceptical of the Prime Minister’s decision to force multiple complex and unrelated policy areas into a single bill. Freedom of speech laws are fundamentally separate from the ownership and management of firearms, and they deserve proper, transparent scrutiny in their own right.
– ends –
Media Contact
Gordon-James Watson 0418 908 159
