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As I wrote recently, the Albanese government’s ‘hate speech’ bill will do nine-tenths of FA to combat anti-Semitism. That’s because the sleazy Labor government inserted a carve-out for ‘religious speech’ that is clearly designed to give Islamic hate-preachers free reign. Meanwhile, anyone who dared criticise Islam would face jail time. As would critics of glass-jawed authoritarians ideologies, such as the trans lobby.
The bill weaponises ‘offence’, placing enormous power in the hands of the supposedly ‘offended’, while stripping away any defence. As libertarian film-maker Topher Field points out, the bill applies ‘strict liability’ on anyone accused under the bill. As Field says, this means “if a ‘victim’ says you did it... you did it. No need to prove intent, or knowledge, no innocent until proven guilty: if a ‘victim’ says they ‘fear harassment’ then you’re now guilty, go directly to gaol.”
For once, the spineless Libs are taking a stand for actual Liberal principles. Mostly, we could be forgiven for suspecting, the jelly backed ‘moderates’ have realised just how few friends this despicable bill has. More importantly, should they fail to stick to even the most basic Liberal principles here, it would almost certainly be the flashpoint to precipitate a leadership challenge from Andrew Hastie.
The bill also infuriates rural voters who see law-abiding firearms owners getting scapegoated, rather than deal with the real issue: Islamic fundamentalism
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has accused the government of being “too weak” to deal with the problem of Islamic fundamentalism, taking aim at the proposed crackdown on commonwealth gun laws.
Mr Joyce described Labor’s hate speech bill as a “bus crash”, claiming it was “obnoxious” to “take away the rights” of rural gun owners as part of the government’s response to the Bondi massacre.
“This is not so much an omnibus but a bus crash. It is a combination and permutation of a whole range of issues. Somewhat connected, some unconnected, and some with nothing to do with the problem. The problem is Islamic fundamentalism in the southwest suburbs of Sydney in other areas,” he told ABC radio.
“The problem is not recreational pig shooters in country areas. So, why is it implicitly believed that they are somehow part of a mass murder at Bondi Beach… We’re sick of being the penance for somebody else’s sins. We did not do anything wrong and we are law-abiding people.”
The Nationals are opposing the bill as well.
The deputy Nationals senate leader dismissed criticism from Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke that the Coalition’s position had reached “the absolute depths of hypocrisy”, claiming that recalling parliament was “not a free pass to passing bad legislation”.
Even the Greens are opposing the bill, if for entirely the wrong reasons. The Greens, who’ve used parliaments and the streets of Australian cities as a platform to spout anti-Semitic hatred and incitement, say the bill doesn’t go far enough to weaponise ‘offence’.
Greens senator David Shoebridge said the legislation was “clearly divisive”, claiming hate could be directed at “any part of our society”.
But it has only been directed at one part: Jewish Australia. Jewish Australians are the only part of our society who’ve had to send their kids to schools with armed guards; their homes, businesses and houses of worship have been repeatedly targeted for violence; they’ve been targeted, week on week, by hordes of knuckle-dragging thugs bellowing for their destruction.
As for the knee-jerk ‘gun buyback’, non-Labor state governments are refusing to play ball.
Queensland will refuse to consider participating in the national gun buyback scheme in the latest blow to one of the Albanese government’s first pledges in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, as scrutiny heats up among states and territories over how the scheme will be implemented […]
The move sharpens the partisan divide between non-Labor and Labor-helmed states and territories, with Tasmania and the Northern Territory also criticising the scheme.
The loudest voice remaining in its favour is one of those with the most to fear from any real action to combat anti-Semitism.
NSW Premier Chris Minns on Wednesday reiterated that his state was fully behind the buyback.
Minns is clearly desperate for a scapegoat to divert attention from his appalling failures to combat anti-Semitism over the past two years. When a mob of Muslims and Greens politicians stormed the Sydney Opera House, chanting “Gas the Jews”, Minns did nothing. When synagogues and Jewish homes were firebombed, Minns did nothing. When thousands paraded images of anti-Semitic terror groups, chanting genocidal slogans, week after week, Minns did nothing. Even after Bondi, his government sneakily tried to promote a virulently anti-Israel to its Supreme Court.
Now, he’s trying to pretend he’s doing something about anti-Semitism.
