NSW Premier Chris Minns beefs up hate-speech laws

The NSW government has announced a suite of strengthened hate-speech and anti-Semitism reforms after recent, spiralling attacks targeting the state’s Jewish community.

A Jewish Australian attends Newtown Synagogue the morning after vandals defaced it with anti-Semitic graffiti in January.

The NSW government has announced its suite of strengthened hate-speech and anti-Semitism reforms, including a new criminal offence of “intentionally inciting racial hatred” after recent, spiralling attacks targeting the state’s Jewish community,

It follows reporting by The Australian on unchecked hate speech from fringe Islamic centres and recent anti-Semitic attacks at places of worship and Jewish suburbs, culminating in revelations a caravan laden with explosives could have targeted Sydney synagogues.

NSW Premier Chris Minns had last year sent the state’s hate-speech provisions to a law reform review, which recommended no changes, but he will plough ahead at parliament’s return next week with a raft of strengthened measures.

“We have seen disgusting acts of racial hatred and anti-Semitism, and these are strong new laws, and they need to be because these attacks have to stop,” Mr Minns said, who has reiterated that the genesis of attacks lay often in unpunished hate speech.

The measures include a new criminal offence for “intentionally inciting racial hatred”, with a proposed maximum two-year custodial sentence, making displaying or vandalising Nazi symbols on or near synagogues a criminal offence – also with a maximum two-year sentence – and incorporating hatred and prejudice as aggravating factors in sentencing.

NSW Premier Chris Minns at Bondi’s Central Synagogue in December. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Vandalism on places of worship would also be an aggravating factor in sentencing for graffiti-related offences, while the government will introduce a new offence outlawing people from blocking access to places of worship, or harassing or intimidating congregation members, also with a maximum two-year custodial sentence.

“These laws have been drafted in response to the horrifying anti-Semitic violence but it’s important to note that they will apply to anyone, preying on any person, of any religion,” Mr Minns said.

The government will also provide a further $525,000 to NSW Police’s hate-crime unit, which would enhance engagement with affected communities, particularly the Jewish, and $500,000 to the NSW Local Government social cohesion and grants program.

That funding boost comes before a Thursday mayoral roundtable hosted by three cross-party and cross-faith Sydney mayors to tackle rising anti-Semitism.

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said the reforms would “send a clear message” that inciting hatred or targeting places of worship was not just unacceptable “but soon criminal”.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the reforms would strengthen the NSW Police’s existing work and capability, which includes its Operation Shelter and Strike Force Peal, established in the wake of rising hate crimes and anti-Semitic attacks.

Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper said the state’s multifaith and diverse society was one of “our greatest achievements”, but one that required “constant attention”, adding that the new measures would protect social harmony and “address bad faith actors”.

Strike Force Pearl has so far laid charges against at least 10 people and recently doubled its full-time detective team from 20 to 40 investigators.

The measures respond to longstanding calls from Jewish leaders that Section 93Z – the state’s existing hate-speech criminal provisions – was ineffective and unable to address rising anti-Semitism.

It also comes after The Australian revealed how radical southwest Sydney clerics had called Jewish people “rats, descendants of pigs and monkeys, and monsters”, and “vile and treacherous people” who controlled the media, but whose rhetoric hadn’t breached any criminal provisions.