The Hon. Barnaby Joyce MP

Member for New England

STATEMENT

20 January 2025

HATE BILL

Today was such a missed opportunity to focus, laser like, on the scourge of antisemitism so vilely exhibited in the mass murder at Bondi Beach. 

Instead, the Federal Parliament has voted for restrictions on the rights of farmers and recreational shooters and then passed a bill where a cornucopia of issues, current and in the future, were given the same gravitas as antisemitism under the mantle of “hate crimes”.

Where this becomes specifically concerning is on page 12 of the Hate Bill where it states and I quote: 

A hate crime is also conduct (whether engaged in before or after this section commences):

(ii) would constitute an offence against a provision of a law of a State or Territory as is in force at the commencement of this section. 

This law comes with a possible 15 year jail term. So does this mean that if the ACT Legislature determines something is “Hate” that, for instance, a Facebook post could have someone in dire legal trouble anywhere in Australia even though they had zero involvement in anything antisemitic but merely an affront to other issues that the ACT Legislature had determined was hate. 

This was all new and had not been examined in an inquiry before the Bill was guillotined, that is forced to a vote after only a couple of hours of us getting to see it. 

This is dangerous, misleading as to the expectations of the public and ultimately chaotic. 

Sadly, only seven voted against the bill.