Australia amends law to make jail time mandatory for those promoting Nazi salute

Doing the Nazi salute could land people in jail in Australia after the country’s parliament passed a series of amended criminal laws on Thursday that will make hate symbols punishable offence.

The laws come in the wake of a number of high-profile antisemitic attacks that Australia has been witnessing raising concerns over people’s safety.

The government described the amended laws as the “toughest laws Australia has ever had against hate crimes”.

However, critics argue that the governing Labor Party is yielding to opposition demands and contradicting its own policy of opposing mandatory jail sentences.

Under the laws, anyone who is seen displaying hate symbols like saluting the Nazi way will be mandatorily imprisoned for at least one year in jail. Other penalties include a minimum sentence of three years for financing terrorism and six years for carrying out or planning terrorist acts.

The Opposition is not happy with the amended laws and has refused to welcome them. Liberal senator James Paterson said, “The parliament is not acting today because of the decisiveness of the Labor Party.”

He added, “The prime minister has been dragged kicking and screaming to finally introduce tough legislation that will ensure there are real penalties for this behaviour.”

While performing the Nazi salute and displaying Nazi symbols like the swastika has been banned in Australia since January 2024 and carries a prison sentence, the amended laws have made jail time mandatory.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said, “This is not about politics. This is about whether the Australian Parliament believes it’s acceptable to advocate, threaten or commit violence against another person because of who they are, who they pray to or who they love.”