❓ Question addresses the Public Order Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, focusing on the government's rationale for strengthening laws against hate speech and protests that incite violence or intimidation, referencing the Bondi attacks and existing hate speech laws.
AnsweredQoN 3Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Public Order Legislation Amendment Bill 20263.Ms Divina D'Annato
thePremier:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities. Can
the Premier advise the house how the government is delivering sensible and
effective law reforms for all Western Australians?
thePremier:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities. Can
the Premier advise the house how the government is delivering sensible and
effective law reforms for all Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
My government is
committed to protecting social cohesion and building safe and inclusive
communities. We will not tolerate hate of any kind in Western Australia. We
already have the toughest hate speech laws and penaltiesin
Australia, and we banned Nazi symbols almost two years ago. Following the
tragic terror attacks in Bondi, it is vital that we look at our laws and ensure
that they are as strong as possible to prevent harm and intimidation in the
community. It is important that we send a clear message. We believe in the
right to peacefully protest, but hate-fuelled demonstrations are not welcome in
Western Australia.Our new laws are
sensible. They support peaceful assemblies, while preventing behaviour that
crosses the line into violence, harassment and intimidation. These laws will
give police powers to reject protests that promote hate, whether it is hate
based on religion, ethno-religious causes, race, disability, gender, sexuality
or ethnicity. These laws will extend our ban on Nazi symbols to cover symbols
of organisations banned under federal laws, including Hezbollah and ISIS flags.
This ban will also apply to juveniles. These laws will make it illegal to wear
a face covering in an attempt to intimidate and threaten others.Our laws strike the
right balance between preserving the right to public assembly and banning
protests that fuel division and hate in our community. For example,
demonstrations by groups such as neo-Nazis that promote divisiveness and hate
must never be acceptable, and I make no apologies for strengthening our laws so
police have the power to refuse them.Public safety is at
the heart of these laws. We want to ensure that the right to peacefully protest
is protected, in line with democratic principles and Australia's Constitution.
We have not seen the types of aggression, violence and confrontations that have
been seen on the east coast, and we want to keep it that way. That is what this
is about: protecting Western Australians from hate-fuelled protests, ensuring
social cohesion and making it clear to anyone who seeks to divide or spread
hate that we have zero tolerance of racism, violence and discrimination in Western
Australia.
Public Order Legislation Amendment Bill 2026
3.Ms Divina D'Annato
thePremier:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities. Can
the Premier advise the house how the government is delivering sensible and
effective law reforms for all Western Australians?
Mr Roger Cook replied:
My government is
committed to protecting social cohesion and building safe and inclusive
communities. We will not tolerate hate of any kind in Western Australia. We
already have the toughest hate speech laws and penaltiesin
Australia, and we banned Nazi symbols almost two years ago. Following the
tragic terror attacks in Bondi, it is vital that we look at our laws and ensure
that they are as strong as possible to prevent harm and intimidation in the
community. It is important that we send a clear message. We believe in the
right to peacefully protest, but hate-fuelled demonstrations are not welcome in
Western Australia.
Our new laws are
sensible. They support peaceful assemblies, while preventing behaviour that
crosses the line into violence, harassment and intimidation. These laws will
give police powers to reject protests that promote hate, whether it is hate
based on religion, ethno-religious causes, race, disability, gender, sexuality
or ethnicity. These laws will extend our ban on Nazi symbols to cover symbols
of organisations banned under federal laws, including Hezbollah and ISIS flags.
This ban will also apply to juveniles. These laws will make it illegal to wear
a face covering in an attempt to intimidate and threaten others.
Our laws strike the
right balance between preserving the right to public assembly and banning
protests that fuel division and hate in our community. For example,
demonstrations by groups such as neo-Nazis that promote divisiveness and hate
must never be acceptable, and I make no apologies for strengthening our laws so
police have the power to refuse them.
Public safety is at
the heart of these laws. We want to ensure that the right to peacefully protest
is protected, in line with democratic principles and Australia's Constitution.
We have not seen the types of aggression, violence and confrontations that have
been seen on the east coast, and we want to keep it that way. That is what this
is about: protecting Western Australians from hate-fuelled protests, ensuring
social cohesion and making it clear to anyone who seeks to divide or spread
hate that we have zero tolerance of racism, violence and discrimination in Western
Australia.
committed to protecting social cohesion and building safe and inclusive
communities. We will not tolerate hate of any kind in Western Australia. We
already have the toughest hate speech laws and penaltiesin
Australia, and we banned Nazi symbols almost two years ago. Following the
tragic terror attacks in Bondi, it is vital that we look at our laws and ensure
that they are as strong as possible to prevent harm and intimidation in the
community. It is important that we send a clear message. We believe in the
right to peacefully protest, but hate-fuelled demonstrations are not welcome in
Western Australia.Our new laws are
sensible. They support peaceful assemblies, while preventing behaviour that
crosses the line into violence, harassment and intimidation. These laws will
give police powers to reject protests that promote hate, whether it is hate
based on religion, ethno-religious causes, race, disability, gender, sexuality
or ethnicity. These laws will extend our ban on Nazi symbols to cover symbols
of organisations banned under federal laws, including Hezbollah and ISIS flags.
This ban will also apply to juveniles. These laws will make it illegal to wear
a face covering in an attempt to intimidate and threaten others.Our laws strike the
right balance between preserving the right to public assembly and banning
protests that fuel division and hate in our community. For example,
demonstrations by groups such as neo-Nazis that promote divisiveness and hate
must never be acceptable, and I make no apologies for strengthening our laws so
police have the power to refuse them.Public safety is at
the heart of these laws. We want to ensure that the right to peacefully protest
is protected, in line with democratic principles and Australia's Constitution.
We have not seen the types of aggression, violence and confrontations that have
been seen on the east coast, and we want to keep it that way. That is what this
is about: protecting Western Australians from hate-fuelled protests, ensuring
social cohesion and making it clear to anyone who seeks to divide or spread
hate that we have zero tolerance of racism, violence and discrimination in Western
Australia.
Public Order Legislation Amendment Bill 2026
3.Ms Divina D'Annato
thePremier:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities. Can
the Premier advise the house how the government is delivering sensible and
effective law reforms for all Western Australians?
Mr Roger Cook replied:
My government is
committed to protecting social cohesion and building safe and inclusive
communities. We will not tolerate hate of any kind in Western Australia. We
already have the toughest hate speech laws and penaltiesin
Australia, and we banned Nazi symbols almost two years ago. Following the
tragic terror attacks in Bondi, it is vital that we look at our laws and ensure
that they are as strong as possible to prevent harm and intimidation in the
community. It is important that we send a clear message. We believe in the
right to peacefully protest, but hate-fuelled demonstrations are not welcome in
Western Australia.
Our new laws are
sensible. They support peaceful assemblies, while preventing behaviour that
crosses the line into violence, harassment and intimidation. These laws will
give police powers to reject protests that promote hate, whether it is hate
based on religion, ethno-religious causes, race, disability, gender, sexuality
or ethnicity. These laws will extend our ban on Nazi symbols to cover symbols
of organisations banned under federal laws, including Hezbollah and ISIS flags.
This ban will also apply to juveniles. These laws will make it illegal to wear
a face covering in an attempt to intimidate and threaten others.
Our laws strike the
right balance between preserving the right to public assembly and banning
protests that fuel division and hate in our community. For example,
demonstrations by groups such as neo-Nazis that promote divisiveness and hate
must never be acceptable, and I make no apologies for strengthening our laws so
police have the power to refuse them.
Public safety is at
the heart of these laws. We want to ensure that the right to peacefully protest
is protected, in line with democratic principles and Australia's Constitution.
We have not seen the types of aggression, violence and confrontations that have
been seen on the east coast, and we want to keep it that way. That is what this
is about: protecting Western Australians from hate-fuelled protests, ensuring
social cohesion and making it clear to anyone who seeks to divide or spread
hate that we have zero tolerance of racism, violence and discrimination in Western
Australia.
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