Artists including comedians and actors, as well as educators, may still be able to display Nazi symbols and perform Nazi salutes under new Tasmanian laws, if acting in “good faith”.
A Tasmanian Liberal government bill to ban displays of Nazi symbols introduced on Wednesday was extended to include the salute, after neo-Nazis used the gesture at a recent Melbourne rally against transgender reforms.
However, the “nation leading” legislation, expected to pass both houses of state parliament with Labor support, creates a number of defences.
These include for anyone giving a Nazi salute or displaying a Nazi symbol if the act was “reasonable” and performed in “good faith … for a genuine academic, artistic, religious, scientific, cultural, educational, legal or law enforcement purpose”.
Slightly greyer is what happens to naughty teenagers caught giving a Nazi salute behind a teacher or policeman’s back.
Younger children, at least, may avoid prosecution, with the legislation providing that the ban on Nazi salutes only applies to those who “know or ought to know” what the gesture means.
Anyone else faces a fine of up to $3620 or three months jail for a first offence, under the new Police Offences Amendment (Nazi Symbol and Gesture Prohibition) Act.
“Our government wants everyone in our community to feel safe from these disturbing displays, whether it be the display of Nazi symbols or the use of the Nazi salute, as we know they can cause hate and fear,” said Attorney-General Elise Archer.
Read the article by Matthew Denholm and Lydia Lynch in The Australian.