Protecting Free Speech The following is a submission to the Queensland Parliamentary Committee – responding to the Fighting Antisemitism and Keeping Guns Out of the Hands of Terrorists and Criminals Amendment Bill 2026.  QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM AND KEEPING GUNS OUT OF THE HANDS OF TERRORISTS AND CRIMINALS AMENDMENT BILL 2026 SUBMISSION BY DAVID LEWIS, BA, LLB, LAWYER, HERVEY BAY QLD FORMER MEMBER OF QUEENSLAND CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL FORMER COUNCILLOR FRASER COAST REGIONAL COUNCIL   Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission to your inquiry. My submission is limited to the proposed new section 52DA, that is concerning prohibited expressions. Introduction: restrictions on free speech Free speech, especially political speech, is protected by a number of relevant legal instruments and decisions. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19 provides: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference …” The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights provides similarly, see Article 19 of that document. The High Court of Australia has upheld an implied constitutional right to freedom of political expression through various decisions now going back over 30 years. No doubt the Committee will

Freedom is the greater good! The Queensland Government has introduced the Fighting Antisemitism and Keeping Guns out of the Hands of Terrorists and Criminals Amendment Bill 2026. It was introduced to Parliament on 10 February 2026 and immediately referred to the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee. Submissions close on 17 February, with the committee required to report back by 27 February. The previous articles examined the impact on freedom of speech and weapons law reforms. This article turns to the Bill’s impact on surveillance legislation. The Bill’s Explanatory Notes state: “Currently, Chapter 11 of the Police Service Administration Act 1990 authorises controlled operations for the purpose of obtaining evidence that may lead to the prosecution of persons for relevant offences. It does not currently permit the authorisation of controlled operations for purposes of disruption or prevention of criminal conduct. This bill will allow the authorisation of controlled operations to frustrate criminal activity and better protect the community. Currently in Queensland, controlled operations, controlled activities and surveillance device warrants are generally limited to offences that carry at least a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment. This is inconsistent with model laws adopted by other Australian jurisdictions that have a much

Changes to QLD Weapons Laws The Queensland Government has introduced the Fighting Antisemitism and Keeping Guns out of the Hands of Terrorists and Criminals Amendment Bill 2026. It was introduced to Parliament on 10 February 2026 and immediately referred to the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee. Submissions close on 17 February, with the committee required to report back by 27 February. The previous article examined the impact on freedom of speech. This article turns to the Bill’s impact on firearms legislation. The stated purpose is to keep weapons out of the hands of terrorists and criminals. On that front, many of the reforms are difficult to oppose. After the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, all Australian jurisdictions adopted significantly tighter firearms controls compared with many other countries. Those reforms introduced licensing requirements, genuine reason tests for ownership, safe storage obligations, and prohibitions on certain categories of weapons. Queensland’s framework operates within this national context through the Weapons Act 1990. This Bill tightens weapons offences in several key ways: Increased Penalties Stealing a firearm Reckless discharge toward a building or vehicle Weapons trafficking 3D-Printed Firearms Possession or distribution of blueprint material for manufacturing firearms — including digital files Preparatory Offences Criminalising

Queensland Free Speech Laws The Queensland Government has introduced the Fighting Antisemitism and Keeping Guns out of the Hands of Terrorists and Criminals Amendment Bill 2026. It was introduced to Parliament on 10 February 2026 and immediately referred to the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee. Submissions close on 17 February, with the committee required to report back by 27 February. That is not a lot of time. For legislation of this scale and consequence, the speed of the process alone should give Queenslanders pause. The Bill follows the Bondi terror attack in December last year, where 15 people were killed by two terrorists. It is framed as a response to antisemitism and extremist violence. Those are serious issues that demand serious attention. But one of the most significant features of this Bill relates to freedom of speech. This legislation represents a major expansion of criminalised expression in Queensland. It creates two new offences: the public display, publication or distribution of terrorist symbols, and the public recitation, display or publication of certain prescribed expressions.   One of the phrases expected to fall within the scope of a prescribed expression is “from the river to the sea”. However, the Bill’s Explanatory

Queensland – perfect one day, police state the next! The Queensland Government has announced a new Bill it says will fight antisemitism, curb hate, and protect faith communities. The Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament this week. Some of the proposed changes include: Tougher measures to curb terrorist symbols, including the Hamas flag and emblem, the Islamic State flag, the Hizballah emblem, and Nazi symbols. New restrictions on terrorist slogans such as “globalise the intifada” and “from the river to the sea”.   Premier David Crisafulli said, “this is about drawing a clear line — and stamping out the embers of hatred that were allowed to burn unchecked for too long — to ensure we protect Queenslanders.” Who can argue with those words? But it is precisely in moments like this that we must stop and reflect. Throughout history, authoritarian and police-state style laws have rarely been introduced as attacks on freedom. They are almost always framed as being in the public interest.  Necessary, reasonable and protective. The Soviet Union justified repression as defending society from enemies of the people. Apartheid South Africa defended detention without trial as essential for security and public order. China has framed mass

Queensland Government introduces Bill to support concerts and major events The Queensland Government has introduced the Sports Facilities and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, aimed at strengthening Queensland’s ability to attract and deliver major concerts and events. The Bill was introduced last year, has been through the committee process, and is due to return to Parliament on 10 February. It proposes significant reforms to stadium curfews, noise regulation, and ticket scalping laws. A consistent curfew across Queensland stadiums One of the most practical changes is the proposal to standardise concert finish times across major stadiums in Queensland to 10.30pm. This is particularly important for the Gold Coast, where stadiums have operated under a 10.00pm finish time. The Bill would align Gold Coast venues such as Cbus Super Stadium and People First Stadium with Suncorp Stadium. Stadiums Queensland Chief Executive Todd Harris noted that community consultation showed strong support for the change. “This community consultation showed strong community support to allow both Gold Coast Stadiums to host concerts until 10.30pm, consistent with the laws that apply to Suncorp Stadium.” He also emphasised the economic and regulatory benefits. “The regulatory framework proposed by the Bill will enable appropriate noise standards to be

Tones & I Sells Out Fraser Coast Show After Regional Rivalry Sparks Fan Frenzy The Fraser Coast has landed one of Australia’s biggest touring artists, with Tones & I officially selling out her upcoming Fraser Coast show in what has become a fascinating mix of fan power, regional pride, and a little bit of local government rivalry. The story began on 28 January 2026, when the artist took to social media with what seemed like a simple question for her followers. She wrote: “Ok I’m gonna let you in on my dilemma.Bundaberg, Coolum and Hervey Bay…are ALL REALLY gunning for a show.Coolum and Bundaberg are 3 hours apart, Hervey Bay is somewhere in the middle.I can’t do three shows that close together so my question to these three communities is, is there any place in between you all would be happy travelling to?” On the surface, it was just an artist asking her fans for input. But politically and strategically, it was much more than that. This single post effectively sparked a healthy rivalry between three Local Government areas — Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast, and Bundaberg; each eager to attract the attention, tourism, and economic boost that comes with hosting

There is no such thing as a free flight! Barnaby Joyce’s response to questions about travelling on Gina Rinehart’s private jet was arrogant, demeaning, and completely lacking in ethics and integrity. Elected officials are not private citizens doing favours on the side. They are public facing representatives, entrusted with power, and they are obligated to meet a higher standard of accountability. Joyce and Pauline Hanson used a private aircraft linked to Rinehart’s company, Hancock Prospecting to tour flood affected Queensland communities in January 2026. The ABC has also reported that Hanson and her chief of staff previously flew on a Rinehart jet to Florida in October 2025 for a political conference, staying in accommodation connected to Rinehart’s network. When questioned, Joyce dismissed the concerns with this line “Would you prefer the taxpayer fly us around? Would you have preferred to pay the bill?” That statement is reprehensible. It is a deliberate false choice, as if the only options are accepting luxury flights from a billionaire or sticking Australians with the bill. What about commercial flights? What about proper, transparent travel arrangements that do not involve private political benefactors? The real issue is not public money spent openly and accountable to

The Business of Fear Pauline Hanson’s Super Progressive Movie was released on Australia Day as a paid online stream, costing viewers $14.99. This week, One Nation escalated the project by hosting cinema screenings across the country — reportedly the first time an Australian political party has funded and promoted a feature film in this way. Tickets ranged from $99 to $129 and included a Q&A session with Hanson herself. That price tag alone signals that this isn’t about open dialogue or cultural understanding. It is about selling an idea — and more importantly, selling fear. The core problem with Super Progressive Movie is not that it presents a conservative viewpoint. Australia has always had room for political disagreement, and it should. The problem is that the film, and the campaign around it, actively encourages division. It frames difference as a threat. It suggests that there is, or should be, only one acceptable version of Australian culture. That idea is not just wrong — it is fundamentally dishonest. Does Pauline Hanson genuinely believe that Queensland farming culture is the same as inner-Sydney city culture? That surf culture is the same as death metal culture? That regional towns, suburban communities, remote Indigenous

The Age of ICE is The sky did not fall at once.It hardened.Clouds learned the weight of stone,and rain forgot how to be water. Cities went quiet the way glass goes quietafter it shatters—still present,but no longer forgiving to bare feet. We called it winter at first,as if names could soften impact.As if saying seasonmight stop the clocks from freezing mid-second. Oceans locked their jaws.Rivers held their breath.History itself slowed,syllables snapping as they were spoken. In the streets, the old banners rotted,ideologies cracking like pond ice in spring—except spring never came.Only the echo of belief,hollow and sharp. They said ice is the answer.Ice is order.Ice is peace.Ice is forever. But listen closely and the chant fractures—ice is becomes Isisthen hisses into something older,a god made of certainty and fear,demanding stillness in exchange for meaning. Not fire, then, that ended us—but certainty without warmth.Truth without mercy.A world preserved perfectly,and therefore dead. Yet beneath the frozen groundseeds still argue with stone.Atoms still remember motion.Time, patient as pressure,waits to crack the sheet. Because no age is eternal.Not gold.Not iron.Not even this. And one day, long after the silence,the ice will admit what it never could:that at it’s existenceit began to melt.