Collectors of war memorabilia have warned a proposed law banning the display and sale of Nazi symbol items will undermine their value.
The Albanese government announced the federal prohibition earlier this year, which could see people jailed for a year if they publicly display the insignia.
The ban will include flags, armbands and T-shirts, and will extend to posting the symbols online.
Selling Nazi memorabilia will be made an offence, and will be banned in retail and online stores.
Australian military collectors told a parliamentary committee the legislation would harm the trade of items.
Jason Gehrke, from the Shooters Union arms collector’s branch, said the bill implied people owning military items were Nazis or advocates of the ideology, which was “deeply hurtful and offensive”.
Mr Gehrke said it was estimated the bill would adversely impact 1.2 million Australians who own up to five million objects worth $760 million.
“The families and heirs of collectors … may inherit valuable objects … but will be denied the opportunity to liquidate those assets because the value of their inheritance will be stolen by this bill,” he told the hearing on Friday.
“Unless the government is proposing to offer compensation on just terms, this bill represents a mass destruction of asset value that appears to be a violation of property rights under the constitution.”
Read the article by Tess Ikonomou in The Canberra Times.