PREMIER CHRIS MINNS – QUESTION TIME – HATE SPEECH

Arab News(Sydney-AUSTRALIA) MEMBER FOR COOGEE: Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Can the Premier please update the house on steps the Government is taking to prevent hate speech in New South Wales

SPEAKER: I call the Premier.

PREMIER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for Coogee for her question. As the Minister for Police has said, New South Wales was confronted with a demonstration that was divisive, bigoted, racist and antisemitic on the weekend. There’s no doubt about that. There’s no place for it in our modern community. It’s designed to wrench at our community and tear one Australian from another. It’s also highly, a group that’s highly – almost targeting young people to join this horrific, fascist, racist Nazi movement. And it needs to be confronted. It needs to be confronted by the Parliament, by the New South Wales Police and by civic society as well, Mr. Speaker, and I want to commend all members of parliament that have stood up in the last 48-72 hours condemning this type of disgusting behaviour. In particular, can I note the Member for Vaucluse and the Member for Wentworth who did it at considerable personal cost. Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that the Government has already taken steps to directly confront hate speech in our community. Members would be aware that a new offence was introduced into the parliament for intentionally inciting racial hatred under the Crimes Act with the maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, a new offence section 93ZA of the Crimes Act directed at the display of a Nazi symbol on or near a synagogue – two years imprisonment, Mr. Speaker. The expansion of the aggravating circumstances that apply on sentences where an offence is motivated by hatred or prejudice. And Mr. Speaker, changes to the Graffiti Control Act to create an aggravated offence when graffiti is placed next to or on a place of worship. I’m of course, referring in particular, to the swastika on New South Wales synagogues. Mr. Speaker, the government is also exploring, is also exploring, including Nazi behaviour and speech, alongside Nazi symbols, to ensure that there’s no ambiguity about this horrifying behaviour in New South Wales, and no suggestion that launching a protest, a fascist protest, on New South Wales streets will be tolerated. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, we’re looking at the Summary Offences Act to ensure that there’s no ambiguity that the agreement to a form one does not accept, in any way, exemptions from hate speech laws passed by this Government, Mr. Speaker. And I can inform the house that we are also – the Attorney will soon outline fresh legislation that will allow police to move on groups, harassing, blocking, intimidating people from entering a place of worship. And Mr. Speaker, lastly, in terms of directly confronting this scourge on New South Wales streets, the Government will also –

[EXTENSION OF TIME SOUGHT AND GRANTED]

PREMIER: The Government will also attempt to remove the three year sunset clause imposed by the Opposition and the Greens in the New South Wales Legislative Council in relation to 93ZAA. Mr. Speaker, the sunset clause will extinguish hate speech laws in relation to antisemitism and racism in New South Wales. And can I just tell you, does anyone believe that antisemitism will stop in two and a half years time? This includes, this sunset clause should never have been included in the bill, and we’re going to attempt to remove it, and we’re hoping for, this time, bipartisan support.

[SPEAKER BRIEFLY INTERJECTS]

PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, we also need to address directly the assertion that antisemitism is a hoax, that the Dural caravan plot, the so-called Dural caravan plot, was a hoax. Mr. Speaker, it emboldens extremists, and they used that rhetoric to justify their appalling, obnoxious behaviour on Macquarie Street. Mr. Speaker, this is going to require all of us, all of us confronting this kind of bigotry on New South Wales streets, we will be asking for the house’s bipartisan – multi-partisan – support in order to send a clear and unambiguous message that Nazis are not welcome in New South Wales.

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