The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) has joined growing criticism of Queensland's proposed hate speech laws, warning they are 'vague' and could lead to censorship. The rightwing thinktank is the latest group to raise free speech concerns about the bill, which has faced backlash from across the political divide.
Under the proposed laws, the state's attorney-general would have the power to ban expressions 'regularly used to incite discrimination, hostility or violence' towards groups defined by race, religion, sexuality, sex characteristics or gender identity. The IPA's Margaret Chambers said the bill would confer 'extraordinary power' on a single minister to engage in censorship without court oversight.
Constitutional scholar Anne Twomey said the laws were being 'unduly rushed', with a seven-day public comment period expiring on Tuesday. She noted that the list of protected groups was broader than recent commonwealth legislation, potentially covering expressions inciting hostility towards transgender people.
The government has announced its intention to proscribe two phrases: 'from the river to the sea' and 'globalise the intifada'. Premier David Crisafulli said the government would not seek to ban additional phrases, such as racist and antisemitic slurs, and defended the timeframe as striking 'the right balance'.
Offences under the legislation could carry a two-year prison sentence for public recitation or display of a proscribed phrase if it could reasonably be expected to make a person feel menaced, harassed or offended. The bill also includes gun reforms developed after last year's Bondi beach terror attack.
