ACL: Government Must Resist Broadening Hate Speech Laws - Christian Lobby Warns
Michael Barnett OAM
From: Michelle Pearse <miche...@acl.org.au>
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2026 at 10:35
Subject: Government Must Resist Broadening Hate Speech Laws - Christian Lobby Warns
To:
MEDIA RELEASE
Government Must Resist Broadening Hate Speech Laws - Christian Lobby Warns
8 January 2026
The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) is calling on the Albanese Government to ensure any changes to hate speech laws are focused on antisemitism and not conflated with other agendas.
The tragic events at Bondi on 14 December 2025 demand a strong response from government. ACL supports action that directly addresses radical Islamic extremism and the incitement of violence against Jewish Australians. However, this moment must not be hijacked by other groups who seek to further their own cause. Hate speech laws must target the real threat and not broaden into areas such as gender and sexuality.
ACL CEO Michelle Pearse said, “Australians are calling for action to confront the ideologies that led to the Bondi attack. We owe it to the victims and their families to act decisively. But we must ensure this tragedy is not misused to advance unrelated political agendas.”
ACL welcomes the stance of the Opposition leader, Sussan Ley, who recently pointed out Australia is not facing a crisis of speech about gender or sexuality, but a crisis driven by radical Islamic extremism and neo-Nazi ideology. ACL agrees that the Government must resist attempts to widen the scope beyond these concerns.
“We back the Opposition’s call for a narrow and disciplined approach. Australians need laws that protect communities from genuine threats of violence, not laws that stop legitimate debate or silence people of faith,” Ms Pearse said.
ACL has written to the Government to ensure that any necessary reforms are precise, proportionate, and do not undermine genuine freedom of speech. ACL is yet to be consulted on these new laws.
ACL continues to call for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the Bondi attack. This will ensure the rationale and scope of new laws are thoroughly investigated.
Media contact: Mark Davis | m: +61 2 6190 1885 | e: mark....@acl.org.au
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Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), Level 1, 18 National Circuit, Barton, ACT 2600, Australia
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