Case Explained: Firearm and hate crime laws pass Senate as parliament recalled in response to Bondi attack – Legal Perspective

Nationals Leader David Littleproud has entered the Senate chamber, sitting behind his party’s leader in the chamber Bridget McKenzie as she spoke on the government’s proposed hate crime laws and criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“A horrific event such as occurred on December 14, calls for a demonstration of unifying leadership from our nation’s government, and unfortunately, what is likely to be the defining movement of prime ministership under Mr. Albanese, as he has systematically failed to rise to the occasion,” McKenzie told the Senate.

“Yet again, he failed in the immediate aftermath of the attack, by refusing to call out Islamic extremism and antisemitism in our country, and instead sought to create a political diversion with this attack on 1 million law-abiding firearm owners,” the senator said.

“Australians have seen through that diversion, whether or not they are law-abiding firearm owners, and unfortunately, the Senate, with the Greens and Labor joining together, has passed that legislation.”

Midway through McKenzie’s speech, Littleproud entered the chamber and sat behind the senator as she spoke. Littleproud is a member of the House of Representatives. There is no rule barring members of the lower house from entering the Senate chamber. The Nationals in the House abstained from voting on the hate crimes legislation.