Prime Minister recalls Parliament early to debate new hate speech, gun laws

Federal Parliament will be recalled early from its summer break as Anthony Albanese looks to rush through new hate speech and gun laws next week in response to the Bondi terror attack, but the Opposition is “deeply sceptical” of the draft legislation.

The first parliamentary sitting fortnight was set to start on February 3 but will instead commence for a two-day sitting from January 19.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley had been calling on the Prime Minister to make the move for weeks.

Mr Albanese said the Combating Anti-Semitism Hate and Extremism bill is a package of reforms that create serious offences for hate preachers and leaders seeking to radicalise Australians.

“It increases the penalties for hate crimes offences,” Mr Albanese said.

“It ensures offenders whose crimes are motivated by extremism will have that factored into sentencing. It creates a new offence for inciting hatred in order to intimidate or harass.”

Mr Albanese said the bill expands and strengthens the ban on prohibited symbols, and it makes it easier for the Minister for Home Affairs to cancel or refuse a visa for people intent on spreading hatred.

It also creates a new framework that will enable the Minister for Home Affairs to list organisations as prohibited hate groups.

The legislation will also set up the National Guns Buyback Scheme.

Mr Albanese said he would brief the Opposition on the new laws on Monday afternoon and it will be referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security for a report. The laws would be publicly released on Tuesday.

Ms Ley said the Coalition was “deeply sceptical” of the Prime Minister’s decision to introduce a single bill that will attempt to cover multiple complex and unrelated policy areas.

“For example issues of speech are clearly separate from the ownership and management of firearms,” she said. “As is so often the case with this Prime Minister, he is squarely focused on what he perceives to be his political interests, not the national interest. This is a political decision, aimed at fostering division - not creating unity.“Just days ago, the Prime Minister was dragged kicking and screaming to a Commonwealth Royal Commission, which is why Australians are right to be cautious when he preaches cooperation but does not practice it.”