Call for submissions
"While we would prefer that making these laws would not be necessary, this government will always take action to tackle racism, hate speech and hate conduct head on..."
The Victorian state government is closing public submissions on its proposed new anti-vilification laws in October.
Public submissions on strengthening criminal protections such as broadening criminal offences and the maximum penalties for serious vilification offences will be accepted up until October 2.
Submissions about civil protections such as introducing a new harm-based vilification law and expanding the powers of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission close on October 16.
The state government will then develop and conduct detailed discussions with impacted communities, draft the legislation and aim to introduce it into Parliament late in 2024. It’s envisaged the existing laws will be expanded to cover other categories than race and religion, such as gender.
Parliamentary Secretary for Justice Nina Taylor said the government is keen to hear from Victoria’s diverse communities to make sure these reforms are responsive to the harm caused by hate conduct and vilification.
“While we would prefer that making these laws would not be necessary, this government will always take action to tackle racism, hate speech and hate conduct head on – because all Victorians deserve to feel accepted, safe and included,” she said.
Nathan Lambert, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs, said it was Labor governments who introduced the Racial Discrimination Act in 1975, and Racial and Religious Tolerance Act in 2001. “But we know the job is not done. That’s why we are strengthening the legislative protections against vilification,” he said.
The Victorian Greens earlier this year introduced a bill to expand the laws to protect people on the grounds of their gender, sexuality, HIV status or disability, but the Labor government didn’t back it, saying the wording was subjective and might leave people open to frivolous legal action.
Make your submission or fill in a survey here: www.engage.vic.gov.au/anti-vilification
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