SPEECH ON THE CRIMES LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HATRED) BILL 2025

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward has delivered a speech in Parliament in support of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Racial and Religious Hatred) Bill 2025.

Click here to watch my speech.

“Australia today is a very different place from the Australia of a few years ago. The rise of far-right extremism is real,” Mr Ward said. 

“It is unacceptable in modern Australia for someone to attack a person on the basis of their race or their beliefs. Whilst I am a defender of free speech, inciting violence or vilification cannot ever be accepted.

“This bill seeks to strengthen the existing law with respect to displaying or graffitiing Nazi symbols near synagogues, strengthen sentencing laws with respect to acts motivated by hate or prejudice and amend graffiti laws with respect to acts of vandalism involving places of worship. 

“People should be able to go to their place of worship without fearing violence or vilification. We all have a part to play in calling out racism no matter which group it is directed toward.

“Whilst I remain a defender of free speech, hate speech has no place in our country,” Mr Ward said.