Bondi Beach shooting: Australian PM announces hate speech crackdown

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a government crackdown on people who spread "hate, division and radicalisation" in response to the Bondi Beach shooting, Xinhua reported.

Albanese said at a press conference in Canberra that the attorney-general and home minister will begin working on reforms that will include a new hate speech criminal offence for leaders who promote violence, and increased penalties for such hate speech.

Under the reforms, hate will be made an aggravating factor in sentencing people found guilty of online threats and harassment.

The government will also develop a new system for listing organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech, promoting violence or racial hatred.

Albanese said that the home minister will be granted new powers to cancel or reject visas for people who spread hate and division in Australia, or would do so if they were allowed to enter the country.

A new 12-month task force will be established to ensure that the education system prevents, tackles and properly responds to anti-semitism, he added.

The announcement followed the fatal shooting of 15 people at an event celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday night.

- Bernama

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