Safety a top concern for Spender
"I am proud to share what I have done, but I always ask what do they think will make a difference'
Allegra Spender believes current hate speech laws do not go far enough, with the incumbent Wentworth MP also confirming to The AJN that her how-to-vote card will not direct preferences to any other party.
With the polls suggesting a bigger role for the crossbench after the election, Spender said if she is re-elected she will “continue to be the strongest voice for Wentworth and the Jewish community on that crossbench”.
“I think that’s the opportunity to make a real difference,” she said.
“Wentworth is just a single seat and I won’t get to choose who forms government. A major party candidate is just a small voice in their party room.”
Spender said safety has been her top concern and she was meeting up with police weekly at the height of the antisemitic attacks. She believes some progress in tightening the laws has been made, including by criminalising doxxing, banning Nazi symbols and strengthening hate crimes laws, but further reforms are needed when it comes to criminalising hate speech.
“Words matter, and our current hate crimes laws do not address those who seek to promote hatred – whether that is hatred of the Jewish community or other communities in our country,” she said.
“We have sensible and practical laws that have been effective in Western Australia for around 20 years. I introduced in the Parliament laws that would provide these needed protections, which were backed by ECAJ. It is extremely disappointing that neither of the major parties will support them yet. But I will keep pushing.”
Spender said her election campaign has been intense but rewarding and she has had many conversations with members of the Jewish community about what she has done to stand up against antisemitism.
“Sometimes people are quite upset when we talk,” she said.
“I am proud to share what I have done, but I always ask what do they think will make a difference.
“There has been a lot of misinformation spread about me – for instance people don’t realise that I have voted against the Greens on every motion relating to Israel, they don’t realise I successfully pushed for an antisemitism envoy to be appointed, that I have been working with AUJS to help combat antisemitism at university – so these conversations are really important.
“However people vote, it is important to know you have someone who cares about the issues that matter to you.”
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