Greens to withhold support for hate speech bill

1 month ago 17

The Greens are expected to withhold support for Labor’s contentious hate speech bill on the basis that it might curtail the pro-Palestinian movement’s freedom of expression and protest rights, seeking changes before parliament returns next week.

The minor party’s position on the extremism and vilification crackdown, proposed by Labor after the Bondi massacre, is key because Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has labelled the bill unsalvageable.

Greens leader Larissa Waters with Mehreen Faruqi and David Shoebridge last year.

Civil liberties advocates have argued the bill’s language – including prohibitions on “promoting hatred” or conduct that might cause “fear or intimidation” – is too broad and risks criminalising mainstream political speech and social media posts, sparking concern inside the Coalition.

Greens MPs fear the new laws may make it harder to criticise Israel’s actions in Gaza or curb the language that can be used at protests, which are attended by Greens MPs. Jewish community proponents of the bill have said they hope chants such as “globalise the intifada” and “river to the sea” would be outlawed under the bill, thought it is not apparent that they will.

The Greens are not preparing to outright oppose the bill but are expected to raise concerns and amendments with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in coming days, according to party sources familiar with deliberations in the Greens, putting Greens leader Larissa Waters in a powerful bargaining position because Labor needs either the Greens or Coalition to pass laws in the Senate.

The Greens want the anti-vilification laws to extend to LGBT people, disabled people and other minority groups. The government has indicated it is open to expanding the bill to include these groups after the emergency laws pass parliament in a two-day session next week.

Labor backbenchers told ministers in a caucus meeting on Monday that they wanted the laws to expand to protect a broader range of minorities. There is consideration inside Labor on creating a Senate inquiry in coming weeks to examine the broadening of the anti-vilification laws.

Albanese had almost dared the Coalition to vote against the bill last week, putting Ley in an awkward position with the Jewish community that she has sought to champion after Bondi.

Labor argues the clampdown on vilification, which has raised the ire of free speech advocates, is the only way to capture the language used by Islamic hate preaches. Though a defence for citing religious texts such as the Koran might weaken the chance of prosecutions, some experts say.

“I’ve engaged with the Greens party leader, Larissa Waters, constructively. We’ve had conversations over yesterday and the day before,” Albanese said on ABC Radio Sydney on Thursday.

More to come.