Australia’s “toughest ever” anti-hate-crime laws have passed parliament, promising mandatory prison sentences for publicly displaying swastikas or terror symbols.
In the House of Representatives, Labor and Liberal MPs were side-by-side to pass new mandatory sentences for hate crimes.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton suggested without evidence that security agencies or state police forces were keeping information from the prime minister over fear it would be leaked.
The AFP was reluctant to elaborate.
“This is a public hearing and it’s not an appropriate forum for us to provide information,” Commissioner Reece Kershaw said.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge was unimpressed.
“When we are asking simple questions of the AFP, you expect simple answers,” he told 9News.
The government rejected the Coalition’s demands for an inquiry.
It had also rejected the Coalition’s mandatory sentencing calls but changed tack at the 11th hour.
“I want the perpetrators of antisemitism to be caught, charged, held to account for their crimes, and put in the clink,” Albanese said.
Under the changes there’ll be a 12-month minimum sentence for publicly displaying Nazi symbols or giving the Nazi salute, the same for displaying or waving the flag of other terror groups, three years for financing terrorism and six years minimum for terror acts.
Fewer than half the Coalition senators voted for the changes but the laws were passed.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke earlier revealed amendments to the government’s legislation, which was introduced into parliament on Wednesday evening.
He said they were the “toughest laws Australia has ever had against hate crimes”.
He called antisemitism “as ancient as it is vile,” but said the bill would “protect all Australians”.
Allegra Spender, the MP for Wentworth , which covers Sydney’s Eastern suburbs where many incidents have happened, described the situation as “horrendous”.
“My community is living through the worst antisemitism this country has ever seen,” she said.
“It is extremely devastating for people.”