PM Sets Bold Deadline for Bondi Reforms as Parliament Reconvenes

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged the Coalition to support the government’s hate speech laws or risk them being abandoned forever.

On Monday, parliament returned two weeks ahead of schedule to pass a suite of reforms in response to the Bondi terror attack.

The government was forced to split its sweeping omnibus bill — encompassing gun laws, hate crimes, migration changes — and abandoned racial vilification provisions on Saturday, after it became clear neither the Coalition nor the Greens supported the changes.

Late last week, Opposition leader Sussan Ley said the reforms had been rushed, “half-baked” and “unsalvageable” in their current form.

Firing back, Albanese has demanded the Coalition explain why it will not support laws recommended by antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal in her plan to combat antisemitism, released last July.

“It’s up to the Coalition in particular to explain why it is that they said they wanted the report implemented in full,” he told ABC radio Melbourne.

“And when they’ve had the opportunity, [they’ve] walked away from it, just like it’s up to them to explain why it is they call for parliament to be resumed and pass all these laws before December.”

Asked whether it was “tomorrow or nothing” for the hate speech laws, Albanese answered, “correct”.

Albanese said he wouldn’t introduce laws that clearly don’t have the majority support in the Senate only to see them defeated.

The recent wave of legislative measures comes in the wake of last month’s tragic terror attack in Bondi. Authorities allege that the attack, which claimed 15 lives near a Hanukkah event, was carried out by Sajid and Naveed Akram, a father and son duo.

Sussan Ley stands in front of an Australian flag

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to provide clarity on her refusal to support the package of reforms, notably those addressing hate speech as recommended by the nation’s antisemitism envoy. Albanese’s insistence highlights the urgency with which these measures are being pursued in the wake of the attack.

Among the proposed reforms are provisions for heightened security checks for firearm acquisitions and the initiation of a national gun buyback program. These measures are anticipated to receive backing from the Greens, increasing their likelihood of passage in the upper house.

Scheduled for introduction in the Senate on Tuesday, the legislation represents a significant governmental response to rising concerns over public safety and hate-driven violence.

The bill originally proposed making it a crime to “publicly promote or incite hatred” or “disseminate ideas of superiority or hatred towards another person or group of people based on their race, colour, or national or ethnic origin”.

However, Albanese has been forced to remove the racial vilification component from the bill, citing insufficient support. Despite efforts to broaden the law to encompass all forms of hatred, including those based on race, religion, disability, sexuality, or gender, this aspect will not move forward at this time.

The expansion was pursued by the Greens and had the support of Jewish groups as well as frontbenchers Anne Aly, Mark Butler and Josh Burns. It also had the support of Wentworth MP Allegra Spender, who has advocated for the changes for more than a year.

However, the prime minister has made it clear he will not seek to expand the hate speech protections beyond Jewish Australians.

“No, we accept that there’s not a majority for the reforms that we were pursuing.”