New South Wales Premier Chris Minns is looking at bringing in harsher hate speech laws as a result of an alleged anti-Semitic graffiti attack in Sydney, and says he is prepared to restrict the rights of all Australians in order to protect community harmony.
Speaking in television interviews after anti-Israel slogans was painted on walls in the wealthy suburb of Woollahra on Wednesday, Mr Minns added that Australia did not have US-style free speech protections because of multiculturalism.
NSW Police said a car which was torched at the scene of the vandalism was driven there by the alleged perpetrators, and that another car and a footpath were also graffitied at about 1am. No arrests have been made.
NSW Premier Chris Minns says he’s prepared to infringe the rights of all Australians by strengthening hate speech laws in order to protect multiculturalism and the Jewish community.
pic.twitter.com/9jZNimUWz3— The Noticer (@NoticerNews) December 11, 2024
“We don’t have the free speech rules that they have in the United States, we’ve got strict interpretation of hate speech in this state, if that needs to go further in a legislative sense, that’s exactly what I’ll do,” he told Sky News Australia.
“Because I think it’s my duty as premier of the state to protect what’s been built over successive decades, and that is a harmonious community. We just can’t put that in jeopardy because some horrific individuals decide to [allegedly] carry out anti-Semitic attacks on the streets of Sydney.
“I want to make it clear that if we need to change laws in the state when it comes to hate speech, that’s what we will do. And I don’t do that lightly, it is infringing on people’s rights, but we cannot have a situation where with impunity someone can walk down the street, sow division amongst different communities, and then gleefully go home, whilst the rest of us are left with the implications.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns reiterates that he will consider changing hate speech laws in response to the ‘antisemitic attacks’ in Sydney because he wants to protect multiculturalism. pic.twitter.com/aeoNjPku6R
— Australians vs. The Agenda (@ausvstheagenda) December 10, 2024
Mr Minns made similar remarks in a separate television interview, saying he was “not closing the door to changes to the law”.
“I’ve said this a few times, Australia doesn’t have the free speech laws that are in place in America, and for one very important reason – because we have developed a multicultural community where it doesn’t matter what your faith or your religion is, you must live side-by-side with your neighbour in peace,” he said.
“And if we need laws in place to protect what has been built over multiple decades and make sure that people feel safe in Australia, that’s what we’ll do.”
The premier’s comments come amid calls from the Victorian Jewish community to fast-track their state government’s controversial proposed hate speech changes in the wake of an alleged attack on a synagogue in Melbourne.
Victoria Police are yet to make any arrests over the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea on Friday, which prompted local Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann to demand a “Covid-like response to anti-Semitism”.
Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann says “We need a Covid like response to Antisemitism” … does that mean constitution breaking mandates, lockdowns, vaccinations and tyranny? lol what? #Melbourne #Antisemitism pic.twitter.com/RvIwqHO2zc
— Logos Veritas (@LogosVeritas369) December 9, 2024
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been accused by the Coalition of failing to do enough to prevent anti-Semitism, also condemned the graffiti attack during a visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum on Wednesday afternoon where he pledged $8.5 million in taxpayer funds for the building to be redeveloped.
On Sunday Mr Albanese committed an additional $32.5 million for the Executive Council of Australian Jewry to fund security measures for the Jewish community in response to the alleged synagogue attack, on top of an existing $25 million fund, and the Victorian government will add another $100,000 to rebuild the site.
As of September the Albanese government had spent more than $90 million on “social cohesion” initiatives since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, and has appointed Special Envoys to combat anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
Header image: Left, Chris Minns visits Woollahra with Police Commissioner Karen Webb (right) and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip (second right). Right, Mr Minns visits the Emanuel Synagogue after another alleged anti-Semitic incident in November (Facebook)
