Andrews Government to introduce new laws banning swastika in Victoria

Victoria will be the first state in Australia to ban swastikas and other hate symbols, with anti-vilification laws also to be expanded.

Swastikas and other hate symbols are set to be banned under new laws to be introduced in Victoria next year.

The Andrews Government on Thursday announced public display of Nazi symbols would become illegal in response to a parliamentary committee report that recommended the change in March.

It will be the first ban of its kind in Australia.

Anti-vilification laws will also be altered to include protections in areas such as sexual orientation, disability, sex and HIV/AIDS status.

This will include changes to make vilification easier to prove in civil and criminal cases.

Legislation to ban Nazi symbols will be introduced in the first half of 2022, with consultation to begin on possible exceptions such as for museums.

Swastikas are set to be banned in Victoria. Picture: Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP

“All forms of hate are unacceptable and have no place in Victoria – expanding our anti-vilification laws to protect more Victorians sends a clear message that this vile behaviour will not be tolerated,” Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said.

“I thank the committee and all those who participated in the inquiry for their work on these complex issues.

“Our new laws will build upon their efforts and we will make sure we consult widely with the community and impacted groups to get the settings right before making legislative changes.”

Opposition police and community safety spokesman David Southwick, who was also on the committee that proposed the ban, welcomed the news.

“It’s a great day for those that have suffered abuse and hate from the evil Nazi swastika,” he said.

“It is great to see Victoria leading the way on this.

“There is no other symbol like the Nazi swastika that has taken the evils of the past and been used in the present day.

A CAFE owned by a daughter of Holocaust survivors, Aliza Shuvaly, was just one of many incidents that prompted a parliamentary inquiry. Picture: Tony Gough

“We’ve also seen an increase in white supremacist neo-Nazi groups that have sprung up, it’s really important tot be able to disarm those groups to ensure we don’t have ongoing hate and violence in our state.

“Victoria has always been a multicultural state that has celebrated diversity.”

A parliamentary inquiry was sparked after a spate of incidents in which the swastika and other hate symbols were grafittied in public places, drawing widespread condemnation.

It also explored whether current anti-vilification laws were strong enough to protect against hate crime, and recommended topics such as sexual orientation and disability be included in this legislation.

In March, committee chair Natalie Suleyman said Victoria had racial and religious laws in place but questions had been raised over whether they were useful in stopping a trend of rising hate crime.

Planning is now underway on the best way to offer these increased protections.

Input will be sought from community groups as the government weighs up recommendations that will require current laws to be changed.