September 30, 2024
The Albanese government has faced criticism for a supposed failure to clearly define expectations of police following terror symbol displays at protests around the country.
NSW and Victoria Police saw demonstrators waving the flags of terrorist organisation Hezbollah and paying tribute to its slain leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday.
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson and shadow immigration minister Dan Tehan have since called on Labor to articulate its position on hate law enforcement.
Despite reports of terror symbols and incitements to violence, law enforcement did not make any arrests at the protests.
In an interview with Sky News on Monday, Mr Paterson expressed frustration over the response from state and federal police agencies.
Australian Federal Police initially indicated no charges would be pressed before investigating at least six incidents of possible counter-terrorism law breaches.
Mr Paterson has insisted it should not have taken 12 months for authorities to recognise the apparent problem of extremism in Australia.
The shadow home affairs minister referenced violent extremism in Western Sydney and antisemitic chants heard at the Sydney Opera House last October.
“Finally, they have heard the message from the opposition… that what we have seen in Melbourne and Sydney on the weekend is totally and utterly unacceptable,” Mr Paterson said.
“It should not have taken... almost 12 months for them to get this message.
“It's time for the Prime Minister, the Home Affairs Minister, the Attorney-General, to make very clear the community's expectations to the police that the law will be enforced, that people be charged, that there be consequences for this abhorrent behaviour.”
The shadow immigration minister echoed the sentiment and accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of a lack of leadership on this issue.
Mr Tehan told Sky News on Monday: “We need to see the Prime Minister saying to the Australian Federal Police, ‘We need you to look at this’”.
“Unless we see that type of leadership from the Prime Minister now, then sadly, we're going to see more of this," he said.
Mr Albanese asserted Australia’s “social cohesion cannot be taken for granted” but did not explicitly call for police to press charges on individuals displaying terror symbols.
The ongoing protests and the government's response have also ignited a debate about the adequacy of current hate laws.
Mr Paterson argued while the existing hate symbols legislation was yet to be tested in court, changes to incitement laws were necessary.
“We have been calling on the government to amend the laws to make it easier… to target people for incitement to violence,” he said.
“We have seen many instances of incitement in this country in the last 12 months, since the 7th October.
“The fact that none of it has gone punished is deeply concerning. Finally, we must fix this law so those charges can be laid."
Both shadow ministers have pushed for a stronger stance from the government to ensure the safety and cohesion of the community.
Mr Tehan claimed: “Social cohesion is failing in our country before our eyes.”
