Daniel Andrews Moves To Ban Nazi Symbols And Strengthen Anti-Hate Protections
Victoria plans to be the first state to make public Nazi symbols illegal.
Victoria is set to be the first state or territory to outlaw the display of Nazi symbols, as part of a new Anti-Racism Strategy.
The state government says the legislation to ban the public display of Nazi symbols comes in recognition of the rise of neo-Nazi activity.
Neo-Nazi groups have been festering in Australia. A report earlier this month by the The Age and SMH explains that the neo-Nazi group The Nationalist Socialist Network has been raising money to buy property “to form the genesis of a new, racist state.” The report is harrowing, and alleges the group’s members range from ex-military men to government employees and even a children’s piano teacher.
ASIO General General Mike Burgess told 60 Minutes that “50 percent of its on-shore priority counter terrorism caseload” is taken up by neo-Nazi cells, and that it was “a reflection of the global trend here.”
Victoria’s minister of multicultural affairs, Ros Spence, says the “Nazi symbols glorify one of the most hateful ideologies in human history. We must confront hate, prevent it, and give it no space to grow.”
The Victorian Government says it will carefully assess how to ban the display of Nazi symbols “to ensure appropriate exceptions are in place, such as for educational or historical purposes, or for other uses of the symbol.”
In a further move to strengthen Victoria’s anti-hate protections, the new laws will move beyond covering race and religion to also include sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual orientation, disability and HIV/AIDs status. The changes will make it easier for people who want to take action through the courts to prove vilification.
Earlier this year, a report by the Victorian Parliament’s Legal and Social Issues Committee found that vilification impacted Victorians across culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, faith groups, people with a disability and also people from the LGTBIQ community.
Attorney-general Jaclyn Symes says the Victorian Government will “consult widely with the community and impacted groups to get the settings right before making legislative changes.”
The legislation is expected to come in the first half of 2022.
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