Dear Friends and Supporters,
This legislation is being progressed rapidly in the aftermath of the Bondi tragedy. While violence and genuine criminal acts must always be addressed through existing law, this Bill goes far beyond that remit and raises serious questions about free speech, political expression, and civil liberties in Australia.
The
exposure draft runs to more than 140 pages and introduces new offences, expanded definitions, and broad discretionary powers that deserve careful public scrutiny — yet the window for doing so is extremely short.
Submissions close tomorrow
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has allowed the public only until 4:00pm AEDT tomorrow (Thursday 15 January) to make submissions.
This Committee process matters. Submissions become part of the parliamentary record and are one of the few formal ways Australians can place concerns, questions, or objections on the table before debate and passage.
Why this matters
International experience shows that poorly defined “hate” frameworks can quickly expand beyond their original intent, capturing lawful speech, political criticism, and online commentary. Once enacted, such powers are rarely rolled back.
Regardless of where you sit politically, laws that affect speech should never be rushed, and they should never be immune from public challenge.
Why scrutiny matters
One provision of the Bill allows the Minister responsible for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to declare organisations “prohibited” without procedural fairness, including by relying on past conduct.
At the same time, AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett has publicly stated that she only received the Bill late Monday night, and that it would be irresponsible to comment on its implications without proper review.
When even the national police commissioner has not had time to assess legislation that significantly expands executive and enforcement powers, it underscores why this Bill requires far greater scrutiny — not accelerated passage.
