The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) today presented its Advisory Report on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill 2023.
The Bill would amend the Criminal Code Act 1995 to:
- create offences for publicly displaying prohibited Nazi or Islamic State symbols, and trading in items bearing these symbols
- create offences for using a carriage service to deal with violent extremist material
- strengthen the offence of advocating terrorism, and
- remove the three-year sunsetting of terrorist organisation listings, so that listings would operate until a decision is made to proactively de-list an organisation.
The Committee made a number of recommendations to amend the Bill including:
- removal of the specific reference to the Islamic State flag as a prohibited hate symbol, instead prohibiting symbols associated with all proscribed terrorist organisations; and
- delaying the entry into force of offences for the trading of items bearing a prohibited symbol for a period of 6-12 months, so that collectors have a window in which to dispose of part or all of their collections if they wish.
The Committee concluded that, subject to the amendments it has recommended, the Bill should be passed by the Parliament.
PJCIS Chair, Mr Peter Khalil MP, said: “The Committee supports measures that prohibit the public display and trade of symbols that represent ideologies of hatred, violence and racism; which cause significant harm to many Australians. These ideologies are incompatible with Australia’s multicultural and democratic society.”
Further information on the inquiry as well as a copy of the report can be obtained from the Committee’s website.
Media inquiries
Chair, Mr Peter Khalil MP, via Lachlan Hinds
0455 999 677
lachlan.t.hinds@aph.gov.au
For background information
Please contact the Committee Secretariat
02 6277 2360
pjcis@aph.gov.au
For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
