Australian Parliament : Combatting Extremism & Firearms Reform legislation passed
News Aggregator using Gemini AI/Posted Thursday 22 January,2025/Image by AAP
In an extraordinary summer sitting that concluded on January 21, 2026, the Australian House of Representatives and Senate passed two major pieces of legislation triggered by the December 2025 Bondi terror attack.
In a significant move to bolster national security, the Australian Federal Parliament passed the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026 on January 21, 2026.
1. Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026
This legislation significantly expands the government’s ability to combat radicalization:
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Visa Cancellations: The Minister for Home Affairs now has broader powers to refuse or cancel visas for individuals associated with “proscribed hate groups.”
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Hate Symbols: The bill criminalizes the import and export of extremist material and prohibited hate symbols.
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Aggravated Offenses: New criminal charges have been introduced for leaders who use their platform to advocate for racially or religiously motivated violence.7
2. Firearms Amendment Bill 2026
Parallel to the hate speech laws, the Parliament passed the most significant gun reforms since 1996:
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National Gun Buyback: A two-year national scheme has been established to reduce the number of firearms in the community.
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Import Bans: Non-citizens are now largely prohibited from importing firearms into Australia.1
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Electronic Register: The bill authorizes a new electronic National Firearms Register to improve intelligence sharing between state and federal police.
What’s Next?
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In Australia: The new hate-group listing mechanism takes effect immediately, with the Attorney-General expected to name the first proscribed organizations by the end of the month.
