Bill will raise penalties for hate crimes, add offence for inciting hatred
Australia’s government announced – via a media release from Anthony Albanese, prime minister; Michelle Rowland, attorney-general; and Tony Burke, home affairs, immigration and citizenship, cybersecurity, and arts minister – plans to recall federal Parliament to address national security legislation in response to the Bondi terrorist attack.
The government noted that it started drafting the legislation, which aims to protect national security and promote national unity, immediately following what had occurred on Bondi Beach.
According to the joint media release, the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate, and Extremism Bill 2026 seeks to:
“The terrorists at Bondi Beach had hatred in their minds – and lethal weapons in their hands,” the joint media release said. “These reforms deal with both.”
The joint media release shared the prime minister’s plan to ask the speaker of the House of Representatives to make the House sit on 19 January, Monday, and 20 January, Tuesday, as well as Senator Penny Wong’s plan, as leader of the government in the Senate, to ask its president to make the Senate sit on similar terms.
As the first order of business, Parliament will deal with a condolence motion to remember the lives the antisemitic terrorist attack took or forever changed. The government and the opposition have agreed on this motion’s text.
Next, Parliament will tackle the bill, to be introduced to the House on Monday and debated on Tuesday, prior to its transmission to the Senate. Upon a referral to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, the legislation will undergo a focused inquiry.
According to the joint media release, apart from preparing the bill, the government has also devoted efforts to:
