Rushed Hate Speech Bill - Make or Break

I WON'T PRETEND THAT YESTERDAY WAS NO BIG DEAL. IT WAS.

While I usually try not to get too bogged down in federal politics, the implications of what happened in Canberra reach well beyond the Commonwealth, and they will affect our state.

Labor and the Liberal Party combined to introduce an important Bill, with almost no meaningful time for consultation, submissions, scrutiny, or public debate.

This legislation establishes a minister-led hate-group listing regime, triggered by written advice from ASIO. Once an organisation is listed, a wide range of conduct including membership, support, fundraising, training, or association can attract serious criminal penalties.

That concentration of power, even with procedural sign offs, should give us pause. History shows that when governments are given broad, interpretive authority to define what constitutes extremism or hate, people of faith and conviction are often the first to be scrutinised.

The rushed process only compounds that risk. There was simply no adequate time for rigorous legal analysis or parliamentary accountability.

Australian Christians have been clear from the outset: freedom of speech is not some nice privilege granted by government. It is a fundamental human right, the freedom to express beliefs and convictions without fear of state punishment.

As your Australian Christians Member of Parliament, I will continue to stand for life, faith, family, and freedom. We will not remain silent as governments of any stripe erode fundamental liberties through haste and overreach.