Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Hansard source

Western Australians should be paying very close attention to two pieces of legislation before the WA parliament: the so-called post-and-boast laws and the new antiprotest laws. We're being told these laws are about public safety, but many across our community, from unions to civil society groups and freedom advocates, are warning that these laws go too far.

The post-and-boast bill is supposed to target people who film themselves committing crimes and post it online. Most people would agree that behaviour should have consequences, but the way this law is written is incredibly broad. A parliamentary committee has already warned it could capture things like footage from protests or demonstrations even if the purpose is to raise awareness or document what is happening. The proposed penalty is up to three years in prison, which is the harshest of its kind around the country. Even more concerning is that the law would be retrospective, meaning it could apply to things people have posted in the past before the law even existed. I have to ask: should I be worried about the Palestine rallies I attended? Should I be worried about the Curtin student encampment I visited in solidarity? Should union members be worried about sharing footage from industrial action? Should environmental activists be worried about documenting their protests? If a law is so broad that ordinary people are asking these questions, then something has gone very wrong.

The antiprotest laws raise similar concerns. They expand police powers to block or shut down protests and were rushed through with consultation with barely 48 hours for feedback. Freedom of speech and the right to protest are fundamental in our democracy. (Time expired)