Australia news live: Greens leader fears locking in hate speech laws too fast could ‘criminalise people for legitimate political expression’

Greens leader Larissa Waters has expressed concerns about proposed hate speech laws in Australia, citing insufficient time for evaluation and potential unintended consequences. Waters warns the legislation, which is being fast-tracked, could criminalize legitimate political expression and be weaponized to shut down protests. She highlights that experts, stakeholders, faith leaders, and academics are raising new concerns about the bill's drafting. Waters also criticizes the "monster omnibus bill" approach, arguing it's an inappropriate way to address such a significant and complicated issue. She emphasizes the risk of enacting flawed laws due to the tight timeframe before parliament convenes.

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