While the Greens would not support Labor’s hate speech legislation in the senate, the Liberals jumped in and took their place allowing the bill to pass. The Greens and Liberals then supported the gun law amendments along with Labor. The Nationals and One Nation to their credit opposed the lot.
The only direction the Nationals can take, after leader David Littleproud said today the party cannot work under the Liberal leadership of Sussan Ley, is to form a coalition with One Nation and the independents ready for the next election.
Reply to Cairns News from Greens Senator Larissa Waters
Thank you for your email to Senator Larissa Waters regarding the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026. I’m replying on Larissa’s behalf.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your views and concerns with us on this important matter, thank you for your engagement.
“These changes expand a dangerous assault on legitimate free speech and political expression in unprecedented ways“
Our office has received hundreds of emails over the last few days from concerned community members regarding this legislation. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with a comprehensive update on what happened in parliament and the Greens position on both pieces of the legislation.
As you know parliament was recalled early to share condolence messages for the people whose lives were taken in the Bondi antisemitic terror attack. Our hearts and solidarity remain with the Jewish community, their loved ones, and with the first responders, healthcare providers and community members who put their lives on the line to protect and support others. Racism and hate have no place in our society.
Parliament was also recalled to address legislation brought forward by the government. One bill focussed on gun laws, and the other covered hate speech, extremism and migration powers.
The Greens approached both bills with the same principle we always bring to parliament: work constructively, in good faith, to deliver outcomes that genuinely keep people safe while protecting rights.
On gun safety, that approach delivered a real result. When the Coalition opposed the gun measures, the Greens pushed to split them out from the broader bill, rather than see them fail.
After close consultation with gun safety advocates and drawing on the hard lessons of Port Arthur, the Greens worked with the government to pass important gun law reforms, including the establishment of a National Firearms Safety Council amongst other changes. You can read more about that and the Greens position here.
These practical changes will help take dangerous weapons off our streets and make communities safer.
On the government’s hate speech and migration bill, the outcome is deeply disturbing. The Australian Greens strongly opposed this bill and voted against it in the Senate.
Labor has chosen to join the Coalition’s race to the bottom, pushing through laws that scapegoat migrants and Muslims and crack down on people speaking out against genocide and serious human rights abuses.
Far from protecting communities or substantially addressing forms of hate, these changes expand a dangerous assault on legitimate free speech and political expression in unprecedented ways.
The amendments in these proposals raise serious questions about constitutionality, protest rights and due process. They allow conduct to be captured retrospectively and give sweeping powers to the Minister, stripping away basic checks on decision-making. Giving the Home Affairs Minister the power to bypass procedural fairness and ban organisations based on the secret advice of ASIO is an extraordinary overreach.
We know that there are millions of Australians who are deeply concerned that these laws will be weaponised against people and organisations calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza. We share these concerns, as do the community members and experts we have worked with.
This was a rushed process that excluded critical consideration and had a grossly inadequate timeframe for consultation.
Legislation of this significance should never be rammed through without proper scrutiny. These changes are wrong, and the Greens stand with the community in opposing them.
We will always fight to protect people – all people – from hate speech while not impinging upon freedom of political expression and their democratic rights. We will keep pushing to tackle all forms of hate without silencing dissent or undermining these fundamental freedoms.
Thank you again for engaging with us and sharing your concerns about these bills, Robert. We appreciate your engagement.
