Under the “Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill,” anticipated to pass Parliament this week, Australia will introduce draconian new federal hate-speech and hate-association offenses.
It includes some of the most punitive and extreme anti-free speech provisions ever passed in the Western world.
The bill introduces new crimes for publicly promoting or inciting hatred against protected groups where a “reasonable” person could “feel” intimidated, harassed, or fear violence, with even harsher penalties imposed for religious or organisational leaders who do so.
It establishes racial vilification as an independent criminal offense, adds to Australia’s list of banned hate symbols, and permits the government to formally list “hate groups,” making membership in or support for groups the government deems unacceptable a severe criminal offense.
Under the bill, hatred may be treated as an aggravating factor in sentencing for unrelated offenses, and the Home Affairs Minister is granted broad powers to cancel or refuse visas based on hateful speech or association, with only a narrow exemption for quoting religious texts in specific teaching contexts — such as a Muslim preacher reading from the Quran.
[via AF Post]