NSW Shadow Police Minister and NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel deputy chair Walt Secord vowed full and unqualified bipartisan support for a State Government bill to ban Nazi symbols in NSW laws, saying that he had been calling for a action since mid-April 2020 and he had even introduced his own bill in October 2021 – the first in Australia.
“This historic bill would have never been introduced into the State Parliament and on its way to becoming law, if it were not for the efforts of NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and other Jewish communal organisations,” Mr Secord said.
“The decision by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies to prepare a joint submission with the Hindu Council of Australia was inspired – and I wish to pay tribute to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president Lesli Berger and CEO Darren Bark for their tireless efforts and support in the campaign to ban the Nazi symbol.
“The Board of Deputies and the Hindu Council were able to come together and protect the religious symbol for Hindu, Buddhist and the Jain faiths, but also criminalise the activity of those advocating hate speech.
“I have always said: `there is no reason to fly a Nazi flag in NSW; it is a symbol of pure genocidal hate.
“It is also pleasing to see that the Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland parliaments are also preparing legislation to ban the Nazi symbol.”
