Asio chief given powers to recommend organisations be proscribed as hate groups under Labor’s new laws

Australia's ASIO chief will gain the power to recommend organizations for proscription as hate groups under new Labor government legislation. The draft bill, released on Tuesday, aims to introduce religious vilification protections, including hate speech and anti-vilification laws. It also includes provisions for formally designating groups as proscribed organizations. The legislation coincides with the reported intention of the neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Network, to disband before the bill is introduced to parliament on Monday. The bill also contains provisions for a large gun buy-back scheme, the largest since 1996.