The responses of the Liberal Party leave us wondering where exactly do they stand on reforms to racial discrimination and gun ownership laws, and how far they are willing to pander to the right.
The Liberal Nationals are predictably contradicting themselves over gun laws and hate speech.
First they introduced tough gun laws under John Howard. Howard famously wore a bullet-proof vest to a rally to argue for tougher gun laws. Nationals leader Tim Fisher courageously confronted farmers and told them the gun laws must be passed. And they were. It was the best thing John Howard did in politics.
After that, the LNP gradually slipped back into covert attempts to weaken their own gun laws. Shameful!
Similar contradictions with hate speech. The LNP repeatedly tried to weaken Section 18C and loosen the tongues of those who wanted to promote racism.
After Bondi, they reversed course to politicise the deaths of Jews and demand hate speech laws be introduced, but specifically laws against hate speech towards Jews. No mention of hate speech towards Arabic speakers , Aborigines or Asians.
So Albanese brought forward a package of anti-hate laws and what did the LNP do? They tried to undermine it. Maybe it was too even-handed and not sufficiently biased towards Jews.
There is no consistency in the LNP, which is why they are unfit to govern.
It should be noted that antisemitism can be directed against both Jews and Arabs. 'Semitic' is a term which covers a group of languages, including BOTH Hebrew and Arabic. It is just as antisemitic to attack an Arabic speaker as it is a speaker of Hebrew.
Where are the opponents of antisemitism opposing hate speech against Arabs?
All of this just demonstrates what any student of Australian history soon realises - our history is riddled with racism.
Tim fisher may be the last Coalition politician who acted with decency, integrity and consistency. You might have vehemently disagreed with him but you knew where you stood and he did seem (unlike others in the government he served) to put Australia’s interests above his own career.
I must admit I hoped once they got back to Canberra they might put aside childishness and start to act like responsible lawmakers, but not so.
They voted against tougher gun laws.
They opposed racial vilification laws.
The Nationals voted against anti-hate laws.
The Coalition agreement between the Libs and Nats is now a sad joke.
It appears some LNP people are more concerned about protecting the freedom of speech of racists to spread hatred than they are to curb hate speech which incites violence, like Bondi.
The LNP demanded Albanese act, but when he acted, they did everything possible to prevent action against hatred and gun crimes.
Oh, and let's not forget the Liberal Governments of Qld, Tasmania and the NT, who are refusing to participate in gun buybacks.
Gun licence numbers have been reduced from 6 to 4, but the Libs refuse to take those surplus guns out of circulation to make us safer. Shameful!
And now the Nats have walked out altogether from the Coalition. Crazy!
They will sit in the corner with One Nation, muttering incoherently.
If you're really against hate speech, you would vote to restrict hate speech.
Instead, the Nats voted against restricting hate speech.
So if you're Jewish, the Nats just voted against restricting people from spreading hatred against Jews, or anyone else.
So why would Jews vote for the Nats?
The Nats seem more interested in protected the right to do hate speech of Nazis and other extremists, including the Bondi shooters. They would deny it of course, but how else to interpret their actions?
The Liberal Nationals are predictably contradicting themselves over gun laws and hate speech.
First they introduced tough gun laws under John Howard. Howard famously wore a bullet-proof vest to a rally to argue for tougher gun laws. Nationals leader Tim Fisher courageously confronted farmers and told them the gun laws must be passed. And they were. It was the best thing John Howard did in politics.
After that, the LNP gradually slipped back into covert attempts to weaken their own gun laws. Shameful!
Similar contradictions with hate speech. The LNP repeatedly tried to weaken Section 18C and loosen the tongues of those who wanted to promote racism.
After Bondi, they reversed course to politicise the deaths of Jews and demand hate speech laws be introduced, but specifically laws against hate speech towards Jews. No mention of hate speech towards Arabic speakers , Aborigines or Asians.
So Albanese brought forward a package of anti-hate laws and what did the LNP do? They tried to undermine it. Maybe it was too even-handed and not sufficiently biased towards Jews.
There is no consistency in the LNP, which is why they are unfit to govern.
It should be noted that antisemitism can be directed against both Jews and Arabs. 'Semitic' is a term which covers a group of languages, including BOTH Hebrew and Arabic. It is just as antisemitic to attack an Arabic speaker as it is a speaker of Hebrew.
Where are the opponents of antisemitism opposing hate speech against Arabs?
All of this just demonstrates what any student of Australian history soon realises - our history is riddled with racism.
BTW when I say Tim Fisher confronted gun owners and told them to surrender their weapons, I'm talking from personal experience.
I saw Fisher stand in front of a rally in Coffs Harbour and do it, in front of a sullèn crowd.
And I watched as gun owners handed in their weapons at the Coffs Harbour Showgroubd and their guns were recorded and then thrown into a skip.
Fisher deserves enormous praise for his responsible actions.
The current leaders of the LNP should reflect on the great example both John Howard and Tim Fisher set for them.
They have fallen well short of their example.
Tim fisher may be the last Coalition politician who acted with decency, integrity and consistency. You might have vehemently disagreed with him but you knew where you stood and he did seem (unlike others in the government he served) to put Australia’s interests above his own career.
Surgically incisive and scarily astute.
Yes, I would have voted for Fisher.
The LNP mess just keeps getting worse.
I must admit I hoped once they got back to Canberra they might put aside childishness and start to act like responsible lawmakers, but not so.
They voted against tougher gun laws.
They opposed racial vilification laws.
The Nationals voted against anti-hate laws.
The Coalition agreement between the Libs and Nats is now a sad joke.
It appears some LNP people are more concerned about protecting the freedom of speech of racists to spread hatred than they are to curb hate speech which incites violence, like Bondi.
The LNP demanded Albanese act, but when he acted, they did everything possible to prevent action against hatred and gun crimes.
Oh, and let's not forget the Liberal Governments of Qld, Tasmania and the NT, who are refusing to participate in gun buybacks.
Gun licence numbers have been reduced from 6 to 4, but the Libs refuse to take those surplus guns out of circulation to make us safer. Shameful!
The LNP are unfit to govern.
And now the Nats have walked out altogether from the Coalition. Crazy!
They will sit in the corner with One Nation, muttering incoherently.
If you're really against hate speech, you would vote to restrict hate speech.
Instead, the Nats voted against restricting hate speech.
So if you're Jewish, the Nats just voted against restricting people from spreading hatred against Jews, or anyone else.
So why would Jews vote for the Nats?
The Nats seem more interested in protected the right to do hate speech of Nazis and other extremists, including the Bondi shooters. They would deny it of course, but how else to interpret their actions?