And there we have it, the government’s contentious hate speech and gun control bill has been passed into law by parliament, with jeers from the government as the Labor opposition ultimately voted against the laws.
While voting for the second reading of the bill as flagged earlier this week, all 30 Labor MPs in the chamber voted against the ultimate third reading of the bill to cries of “shame” from the LNP government benches.
All 52 LNP MPs voted for the bill’s passage, as did the state’s two Katter’s Australian Party MPs. Greens Maiwar MP Michael Berkman, independent Noosa MP Sandy Bolton and Labor-turned-independent Stafford MP Jimmy Sullivan also voted against the bill.
Labor’s Jonty Bush, Barbara O’Shea, Jennifer Howard, Mark Furner and Shane King were not present for the vote.
The laws, amended by the government today to enshrine two contested pro-Palestinian phrases instead of handing the attorney-general powers to ban any phrase, sparked significant criticism from civil society groups across the political spectrum.
Labor had raised concerns about the bill’s rushed process and its failure to go far enough on gun reform, and said it would ultimately back the bill at the second reading without clarifying how it would vote at the ultimate third-reading stage.
Debate on the bill extended across the entirety of this week’s three-day parliamentary sitting, with Labor MPs reiterating concerns about its impact on free speech.
Government MPs used the week to highlight Facebook posts from Cairns Labor MP Michael Healy which they claimed were antisemitic and were grounds for Opposition Leader Steven Miles to sack him from the shadow cabinet as a leadership test.
Responding to debate before the vote, Police Minister Dan Purdie sought to portray the government’s eleventh-hour decision to write the slogans (“from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada”) as a strengthening, rather than responding to concerns.
“We are taking decisive action to enshrine the phrases in legislation, because Labor simply cannot be trusted not to repeal the regulations and remove these prohibitions when they return to government,” Purdie said.
He also made reference to a submission to parliamentary scrutiny of the bill from an anonymous Labor preselection candidate who said they were unsuccessful because they would not say they were pro-Palestine.
“So, while the member [Healy] still remains a member of Labor’s leadership team, the question still remains – is it a requirement to be a Labor Member of Parliament in Queensland, that you have to have antisemitic views?”
After a few months of silence to consider the mountain of submissions and comments, the body tasked with redrawing Queensland’s state electorate boundaries has reemerged.
In a media statement this afternoon, the Queensland Redistribution Commission has announced it will publish its proposed map to be contested at the 2028 election on Tuesday.
Objections to this proposal will then be accepted from the following day until April 9, with comments then opened on those objections between April 20 and April 30.
“The Commission will then consider the objections and comments and make any necessary changes to the proposed electoral redistribution,” the statement said.
“The Commission anticipates being able to publish the completed electoral redistribution in June 2026.”
We’re now into the government business section of the day – debate on hate speech and gun control laws – which is due to wrap up by 4.30pm.
The government’s Leader of the House, Christian Rowan, moved a motion earlier today, passed by government members, which will see Police Minister Dan Purdie deliver his response at that time.
From there, the bill will be considered in detail by individual clauses for a period of only 10 minutes, with a final vote to occur by 5pm.
Labor’s Manager of Opposition, Mick de Brenni, reiterated criticism that the two contested pro-Palestinian phrases being slotted into the bill at that stage will have had no parliamentary scrutiny.
While Labor has heavily criticised the scrutiny process, the slogan ban and elements of the gun control element which do not go far enough or follow coronial recommendations, it will support the bill.
Debate on the government’s “empowering councils” bill, making changes to senior executive recruitment and clarifying the role of mayors, will then start and end by 8.30pm, for passage by 9pm.
The state government has zeroed in on claims of antisemitism against Cairns Labor MP Michael Healy for the third consecutive day, with parallels drawn between Opposition Leader Steven Miles and former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, citing a Facebook post he tabled from Healy on Thursday which he claimed perpetrated antisemitic tropes about Jewish control of the media, noted a UK Labour candidate had been sacked by her party for sharing the same thing.
“Guess who kicked her out of the Labour Party, far-left socialist Jeremy Corbyn,” Bleijie said.
Bleijie and Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber claimed the reason why Miles had not acted to demote Healy was because he was “harbouring antisemites” in his party. Gerber suggested Miles even harboured antisemitic views himself.
“Then we have the Jeremy Corbyn-era all over again,” Gerber said.
Premier David Crisafulli, over two responses to questions from his MPs, leaned on comments from the Jewish Board of Deputies saying the posts employed “age-old antisemitic tropes and Holocaust inversion”.
“In a week where we are standing here responding to bloodshed in Bondi, the Labor Party are dismissing antisemitism as a distraction and theatrics,” Crisafulli said.
“In a week where we are standing here responding to Bondi, the Leader of the Opposition is telling the Jewish community what is and isn’t antisemitic. In a week where we are here responding to Bondi, the Leader of the Opposition won’t even accept the same standard that his own political movement in another jurisdiction are willing to set and abide by.
“And I say to the Leader of the Opposition, there is good news, and that is, it’s not too late … Yes, it’s a test of leadership, but it’s also the right thing to do”.
Labor used question time to press Crisafulli on whether his government would support a Queensland Audit Office probe into crime victim data, which the Premier did not respond to directly.
Two other Labor jabs at Crisafulli on whether he had given advice to the Gold Coast Trump Tower developer about financial management and which arm he would get his flu shot in this year were ruled out of order by Speaker Pat Weir.
Moving through ministerial statements, we got a few new elements from the government frontbench this morning.
The first was an announcement from Resources Minister Dale Last that the government would open 18 “new resource exploration areas” across the state on Thursday.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m not all that keen on paying $3 a litre when I fill up my car,” Last said in explaining the decision, referencing fears of conflict-driven petrol price hikes.
Last said of the 18, 12 would include petroleum and gas areas of more than 7000 square-kilometres in the Bowen, Surat and Cooper/Eromanga basins.
Four of these will be released subject to an Australian market supply condition, ensuring gas produced is supplied to the domestic market.
Four coal areas will also be released in the Bowen and Surat basins, along with two areas north of Julia Creek featuring the “largest known vanadium resources in the world”.
“These areas are particularly exciting because Queensland is on the cusp of a critical minerals boom,” Last said.
Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett called on the federal government to work with the state and local governments to deal with a spate of illegal fishing vessels in the Torres Strait.
“This is not just a sovereignty issue. I am deeply concerned about the risks these illegal fishing vessels pose to our precious biosecurity, fish stocks and the local cultural and natural environment,” Perrett said of the region featuring Australia’s closest international border.
The minister said he was told by community leaders at a recent meeting that they viewed the Torres Strait as “the weakest border in the country”.
“I urge the federal government to undertake meaningful consultation and to provide local presence,” Perrett said.
“The risk these vessels pose to biosecurity and border protection, cannot be overstated. Nor should it be underestimated.”
Things have kicked off for the morning here at parliament, with Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie avoiding a referral to the ethics committee.
Labor’s Grace Grace had written to Speaker Pat Weir about the December incident in which she accused Bleijie of threatening her by calling across the chamber, “I’ll get you”.
Weir told MPs this morning he would not be referring the matter for further investigation and action, but said while some behaviour may not reach that level, it does not make it acceptable.
“It is unacceptable for members to be quarreling across the chamber,” Weir said.
“It is also clearly unparliamentary for a member to gesticulate towards another member while saying, ‘I’m going after you’.
“I particularly urge senior members of this house to be more temperate in the way they address each other, and for the dignity of the house and the example it sets to other members and the public – we are leaders and role models, and we must act that way.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Traeger MP and Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter introduced his long-promised “castle law” bill to allow lethal force against home intruders.
A government-controlled parliamentary committee will now consider the bill, before making recommendations back to parliament about its passage, amendment or otherwise.
Proceedings kick off again at 9.30am today.
Queensland could introduce sweeping new restrictions on e‑scooters and e‑bikes – including age and speed limits, licence requirements and police seizure powers – under recommendations handed down by a parliamentary inquiry.
The LNP-dominated parliamentary committee tabled its recommendations, including a ban for riders under 16, in parliament on Wednesday.
Those aged 16 or over would need to hold a Queensland learner’s licence, meaning they would have had to complete road rule training before being allowed to ride.
The committee also recommended a two‑tiered regulatory system, drawing a sharp distinction between compliant low‑speed devices and high‑powered or modified machines.
Devices capable of travelling faster than 25km/h would be reclassified as a motorcycle or moped, requiring registration, compulsory third-party insurance, a licensed rider, and road-only use.
The committee also recommended footpath speed limits for e-scooters and e-bikes be reduced to 10km/h.
Read more here.
On the final day of the parliamentary sitting week, the LNP government’s contentious hate speech and gun reform laws are expected to be voted on.
Labor has aired concerns about the laws being a gag on freedom of speech and faced backlash from progressive grassroots members, but Opposition Leader Steven Miles has said the party will support the legislation.
Meanwhile, the government’s attacks on Cairns MP Michael Healy will likely continue into a third day over what the LNP claim are antisemitic Facebook posts from the shadow cabinet member.
Follow below for the latest from parliament.
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