Review of Exposure Draft Legislation: Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026
15 January 2026
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has published their report following their review of the exposure draft Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026.
In its report, the Committee made four recommendations, including urging a collaborative, cross-party approach and recommending that the remaining measures proceed by separating the package into two bills - hate crime/migration provisions and firearms reforms - while noting that the initially proposed racial vilification offence will not proceed at this time. Coalition Senators from the Committee also provided a dissenting report, criticising the limited timeframe of the inquiry as reducing opportunities for proper independent scrutiny.
The ALA opposed the draft Bill in its submission, emphasising that any legislative response affecting freedom of expression must be carefully considered, demonstrably effective and proportionate, and framed with clear, tightly defined thresholds to avoid unintended consequences.
ALA submission
Report