Symbols of hatred and terrorist offenses will be punished by mandatory prisons in the range of one to six years in Australia, after Parliament brought a series of amendments to the crime law on Thursday.
New laws were passed after a wave of high anti -Semitic attacks that became the main topic of discussion in the country.
The Government described the amendment as “the most serious laws of Australia ever against hate crime.”
But critics say that the ruling Labor Party runs into the demands of the opposition and goes against their own opposition policy with mandatory prison sentences.
According to the amendments, the display of hate symbols or the performance of the Nazi greeting is now punishable with at least one year in prison.
Other penalties include at least three years to finance terrorism and six years to commit or plan terrorist acts.
There have been several attacks on Jewish goals in Australia in recent months.
Last week of Sydney authorities Found a caravan containing explosives and anti -Semitic note.
The discovery came only a week after the child care care center near the Jewish school and synagogue in Sydney was ignite and anti -Semitic graffiti were seen on one of his walls.
In December was a synagogue in Melbourne Pack with the worshipers on the inside. No one was seriously injured in an incident, who sent shock waves through the ground.
Former Senator of Rada Kim Carr criticized the party for saying that “a clear violation of the national platform of the Labor Party.”
Laborists oppose mandatory penalties given that such penalties do not reduce crime, undermine the independence of courts and are often discriminatory in practice.
But the opposition parties did not rush or greet new amendments, accusing Labor of dragging his legs.
“Parliament is not working today because of the determination of the Labor Party,” Liberal senator James Paterson told reporters in Canberri.
“The Prime Minister withdrew to hitting and screaming to finally introduce serious legislation that will ensure that there are real penalties for such behavior.”
The performance of the Nazi greeting and showing Nazi symbols such as swastika has been banned from January 2024 and carried up to one year in prison. Amendments make a prison deadline on Thursday.
“This is not about politics,” said the Minister of Home Affairs Tony Burke on Wednesday night, while amendments were introduced in the parliament.
“This is about whether the Australian parliament believes acceptable to advocate, threaten or commit violence against another person for who they are, to whom they pray or whom they love.”
