Opposition blasts Albanese government for taking its time to do something on antisemitism

Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson has welcomed new hate speech laws which could see antisemitic chants banned. The bill will reportedly carry criminal, not civil, penalties for serious offences of vilification based on a person's race, sexuality, gender, disability or religion. The shadow home affairs minister however criticised the Albanese government over why they're only just doing something now about the rise in antisemitism. “It shouldn’t have taken what has happened in Mount Scopus … to realise how serious the antisemitism crisis has been in our country,” Mr Paterson told Sky News host Sharri Markson. “For more than six months now since October 7, it's abundantly clear what’s happening and where has been the action to compliment the serious words we're now hearing out of the deputy prime minister and some others.”