NSW Premier Chris Minns has defended controversial new racial hatred laws days after it was revealed a caravan laden with explosives in Sydney’s north was not a terror-related incident but a criminal hoax.
The package of laws, introduced to parliament on February 11 and passed just days later on February 20, criminalise a range of activities outside places of worship and increase penalties for racial hate-related acts.
The swift passage of the laws, which also give police new powers in regard to protests near places of worship, have faced both praise and criticism in the wake of the discovery of the explosive-laden van in Dural in North Sydney.
Under pressure over revelations the caravan and other alleged anti-Semitic acts were instead a criminal ploy, Mr Minns said the state government would “not be repealing” its hate speech laws that he said sent a “clear message”.
“While the caravan was part of a criminal conspiracy – and not the plot of a terrorist organisation – it was still appalling racial hatred,” Mr Minns said.
“It targeted the Jewish community. It targeted a racial group to instil terror in our state.
“While these laws were drafted in response to horrifying anti-Semitism, we have always made clear they would apply to anyone preying on any person at any time.
“In response to calls for the laws to be scrapped, doing so would be a toxic message to our community that this kind of hate speech is acceptable when it’s not.”
Mr Minns said the laws were “very important to maintaining social cohesions” after what he described as “hundreds of anti-Semitic attacks and incidents” in NSW.
“Our laws criminalised intentionally and publicly inciting hatred towards another person, or group, based on race,” he said.
“They send a clear message: The people of NSW stand together against inciting racial hatred in our great multicultural state
“This racial hatred has caused our Jewish community to live in fear in their own state.”
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley and senior NSW police, including Commissioner Karen Webb, were grilled during budget estimates on Wednesday over what they knew about the caravan plot and the new laws.
Greens MLC Sue Higginson claimed parliament was “forced to have legislation rushed through” after the discovery of the caravan on January 29 that was later deemed by NSW and Australia Federal Police as not being terror related.
During the hours-long grilling, Ms Catley refused to confirm when she was informed the caravan was suspected as not being terror related, citing the need to protect the confidentiality of meetings she had with senior police, including the day after the van was discovered.
Asked about the new laws, Ms Catley asked Ms Higginson in a fiery exchange “do you have amnesia?” before claiming there had been “anti-Semitic attacks every second night”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese admitted on Wednesday to having “known for some time” that the AFP believed the caravan was part of a sophisticated criminal hoax.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson told budget estimates that police would allege it and other alleged anti-Semitic attacks investigated under Strike Force Pearl, including an attempted firebombing at a Newtown synagogue, were “co-ordinated by either an individual or a group of individuals for their own criminal purposes – beneficial purposes”.