Australia’s politicians will be called back to Parliament House early to implement sweeping changes in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack, reports TESS IKONOMOU.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced parliament will be recalled early for two days from January 19 to pass strengthened hate speech laws following the massacre at Bondi Beach

• Parliament was originally slated to return on February 3 for the first week of sittings

• Labor faced mounting pressure for weeks over its response to the terror attack, with the coalition saying parliament should be called back early and calling for a royal commission into anti-Semitism to be set up in the days following the incident

WHAT ARE THE PROPOSED CHANGES?

• Draft laws include an aggravated hate speech offence for preachers and leaders who promote violence, and hate will be made an aggravating factor in sentencing crimes related to online threats and harassment

• Expanded powers would be given to the home affairs minister to cancel or reject visas for those spreading hate and division in Australia

• A national guns buyback scheme will be set up under the legislation, which the prime minister says will bring Australia’s gun laws into the 21st century

WHAT’S BEEN SAID?

• “We also want to make it clear that conduct which is hateful, dangerous and divisive will also be illegal, because just as anti-Semitism and racism are an offence against our Australian values, they should be an offence against Australian law” – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

• “Once these laws are passed, they will be the toughest hate laws Australia has ever seen” – Attorney-General Michelle Rowland

• “We are deeply sceptical of the prime minister’s decision to introduce a single bill that will attempt to cover multiple complex and unrelated policy areas” – Opposition Leader Sussan Ley