Australia's Senate has narrowly approved two contentious bills aimed at combating hate groups and promoting gun safety. The legislation was rushed through in a late-night vote, with 38 votes to 22 against it, after the Albanese government struck deals with both the Liberal Party and the Greens.
The passage of these laws is largely due to changes made by the Labor party in response to criticism from within its own ranks. The original bill faced opposition from several Liberal MPs, who expressed concerns that it would infringe upon free speech rights. However, after negotiations between Labor and the Liberals, the revised version was presented, which they say tackles antisemitism and radical Islamist extremism.
Notably, a group could theoretically be banned under the new regime if they accused Israel of genocide or rejected its right to exist and caused Jewish Australians to feel harassed or intimidated. The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, argued that this would only have a "chilling impact on racist bigotry," while the Greens warned that it would silence legitimate criticism of other countries.
The legislation also establishes a national gun buyback scheme, introduces more rigorous background checks for gun owners, and imposes new import controls to promote public safety. The National Party, however, opposed these measures, calling them an "unjustified attack on law-abiding gun owners."
In response to the bill's passage, Nationals leader David Littleproud criticized the Albanese government for pushing through the legislation without proper parliamentary scrutiny. The decision by the Nationals to oppose the bill marked a rare instance of unity among Australia's main parties, with the Greens also strongly opposing it.
The controversy surrounding these laws is part of a broader debate about free speech and racism in Australia, which was reignited after a shooting at Bondi beach last month left five people dead. The government has since announced plans to establish a royal commission into antisemitism, following initial resistance to calls for a national inquiry.
The passage of these laws is largely due to changes made by the Labor party in response to criticism from within its own ranks. The original bill faced opposition from several Liberal MPs, who expressed concerns that it would infringe upon free speech rights. However, after negotiations between Labor and the Liberals, the revised version was presented, which they say tackles antisemitism and radical Islamist extremism.
Notably, a group could theoretically be banned under the new regime if they accused Israel of genocide or rejected its right to exist and caused Jewish Australians to feel harassed or intimidated. The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, argued that this would only have a "chilling impact on racist bigotry," while the Greens warned that it would silence legitimate criticism of other countries.
The legislation also establishes a national gun buyback scheme, introduces more rigorous background checks for gun owners, and imposes new import controls to promote public safety. The National Party, however, opposed these measures, calling them an "unjustified attack on law-abiding gun owners."
In response to the bill's passage, Nationals leader David Littleproud criticized the Albanese government for pushing through the legislation without proper parliamentary scrutiny. The decision by the Nationals to oppose the bill marked a rare instance of unity among Australia's main parties, with the Greens also strongly opposing it.
The controversy surrounding these laws is part of a broader debate about free speech and racism in Australia, which was reignited after a shooting at Bondi beach last month left five people dead. The government has since announced plans to establish a royal commission into antisemitism, following initial resistance to calls for a national inquiry.
... feel like they're tackling the right issues but also kinda worried about the slippery slope thing with free speech 
.. if you can get banned just 'cause you expressed an opinion that makes someone uncomfortable, that's when it gets super problematic 
. don't know if i trust the government to get this one right 
, I know some of my mates were worried it would be watered down or even get knocked out by the Libs but glad it's happening now 
, and yeah those gun laws are about time too 
we can't have more massacres like Bondi beach last month 
. Tony Burke is being super chill about the antisemitism part 
, I know he's right it wouldn't stop people from saying racist stuff just make 'em think twice 
and that national gun buyback scheme sounds like a solid idea too 
gotta get those guns out of circulation. Nationals were all over this one tho 
, don't know what they're thinking not supporting our safety 
and what's the difference between protecting Jewish Australians from harassment and silencing legitimate criticism of other countries? is that even possible?
? They just passed those two super contentious bills in like, 2 minutes 
! It's crazy how politics can get done so fast, but I'm kinda proud they got some stuff sorted out on gun safety and combating hate groups. The national gun buyback scheme is a no-brainer, tbh 
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. What's wild is that even some Liberal MPs initially opposed the bill because they thought it'd stifle free speech 
.
... like, can't we have a balance between speaking our minds and not being dicks?
I'm all for combating racism and promoting gun safety, but let's make sure we're not sacrificing our free speech rights in the process. It feels like we're just getting back to where we were after the 2014 Gaza protests... same arguments, different day 
whats next gonna be us banned cuz we speak about other countries without being pro them lol 
the new gun laws tho make sense especially with all that craziness in australia lately 
it feels like something needs to change on both sides of the aisle im glad the greens were vocal about this tho 
and now we're left with this super vague bill that could literally get ppl banned for expressin their opinions 
i mean what's next? silencing criticism of other countries?! 
gotta keep fighting for a more inclusive society! 
Can we really make sure it doesn't just get used as a tool for silencing opposing voices? 
! It's amazing to see Australia taking steps towards promoting gun safety and combating hate groups. I think it's super reasonable to have stricter background checks and import controls in place, especially after all those senseless shootings 
!
The gun buyback scheme and background checks are also super necessary 
And let's be real, the National Party's opposition to these measures is pretty suspicious 
not trying to regulate every single aspect of our lives like the government is 
. More people need to be held accountable for owning guns responsibly.
! 
. I know some people are worried about free speech and all that, but I think it's a necessary step in the right direction 
. And let's be real, five people dead at Bondi beach? That's a tragedy 
. We need to take action and make sure something like that never happens again 
It's not worth the risk