In a busy private members’ day on Wednesday, the Legislative Council debated numerous motions, including one establishing a new Select Committee into the Dural caravan incident. The House also heard the introduction of a bill seeking to repeal recent “hate crimes” bills and agreed to five orders for papers, one of which falls under the lesser-known Standing Order 55 as opposed to Standing Order 52. Read on for more…
INTRODUCED: CRIMES LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HATRED LEGISLATION REPEAL) BILL 2025
The Hon John Ruddick (Libertarian Party) introduced the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Racial and Religious Hatred Legislation Repeal) Bill 2025 on Wednesday. This bill seeks to reverse the effect of three recent “hate crimes” bills which passed the Parliament of NSW.
In his second reading speech, Mr Ruddick explained that the Libertarian Party seeks to repeal the above laws based on their view that they restrict free speech. The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Racial and Religious Hatred) Bill 2025 strengthened prohibitions on hate speech and Nazi symbols, the Crimes Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025 expanded police powers to disperse protests near places of worship and the Crimes Amendment (Inciting Racial Hatred) Bill 2025 criminalised speech that could incite racial hatred. Mr Ruddick explained that critics of these bills suggest that their broad reach could criminalise those with unpopular opinions or have other unintended consequences. Read more about the bill in Mr Ruddick’s second reading speech.
Following the bill’s introduction, debate was adjourned for five calendar days, according to standing order.
GENERAL MOTIONS
The following motions were debated in the House over the course of the day:
| Topic of motion | Moved by | Agreed to? |
| Keli Lane’s eligibility for parole, debate continued here | Ms Sue Higginson (The Greens) | Negatived, on division (Ayes: 7/Noes: 31) |
| Production of electric buses | The Hon Damien Tudehope (Liberal) | Agreed to, as amended |
| Select Committee on the relationship between the Dural caravan incident and Parliamentary debates on Legislation | The Hon Rod Roberts (Independent) | Agreed to, on division (Ayes: 23/Noes: 14) |
| Royal Far West 100 Anniversary 2025 | The Hon Natasha Maclaren-Jones (Liberal) | Agreed to |
| Toll cap | The Hon Bob Nanva (Labor) | Agreed to, as amended |
| Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union’s operations | The Hon Chris Rath (Liberal) | Negatived, on division (Ayes: 14/Noes: 18) |
| Special religious education programmes | The Hon Rachel Merton (Liberal) | Agreed to, on division (Ayes: 28/Noes: 6) |
| Awards for women in regional communities | The Hon Emily Suvaal (Labor) | Agreed to |
| Residential dwelling vacancies | The Hon Jacqui Munro (Liberal) | Agreed to |
In addition to the above motions debated in the chamber, the following motions were agreed to without debate, during the morning’s formal business:
- An Evening with Irish Authors 2025, moved by the Hon Cameron Murphy (Labor)
- St Patrick’s Day 2025, also moved by Mr Murphy
- International Day to Combat Islamophobia 2025, also moved by Mr Murphy
- International Day of Judicial Well-Being 2025, also moved by Mr Murphy
- Support services for people with Parkinson’s disease, moved by the Hon Mark Banasiak (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party)
- NSW Environmental Protection Authority report on plastic pollution, moved by the Hon Tania Mihailuk (Independent)
- Orange Social Women’s Cricket Competition, moved by the Hon Scott Barrett (Nationals)
- Medicine safety for children and adolescents, moved by Dr Amanda Cohn (The Greens)
- International Day to Combat Islamophobia 2025 and incidents of Islamophobia, also moved by Dr Cohn
- 80th Anniversary of the Mosman Branch of the Liberal Party of Australia, moved by the Hon Rachel Merton (Liberal)
- International Working Women’s Day 2025, moved by Ms Abigail Boyd (The Greens)
- Portfolio Committees – Amendment to Resolution, moved by the Hon Penny Sharpe (Labor)
- Budget Estimates 2024-2025 – Further Additional Hearings
- Mr David Polson OAM, moved by the Hon Penny Sharpe (Labor)
PROCEDURAL HIGHLIGHT – STANDING ORDER 55
In a procedural highlight, the Hon Jeremy Buckingham (Legalise Cannabis Party) moved a motion under the rarely used Standing Order 55 relating to the production of documents concerning the administration of justice. Unlike the more commonly used Standing Order 52 which orders State papers from the Executive Government, Standing Order 55 requests documents from the Governor for matters relating to the judiciary or the Crown, such as documents related to the royal prerogative, dispatches or correspondence to or from the Governor, or the administration of justice. Unlike SO52, papers requested under SO55 have not been readily returned in recent decades.
In speaking to his Address to the Governor for papers, Mr Buckingham explained that this request by the House asks that the police and prison records of Ivan Robert Marko Milat be made available to the Parliament. Speaking for the Government, Minister the Hon Penny Sharpe acknowledged the reasons for the request and undertook to work towards returning the requested documents. The motion was agreed to on the voices.
Read the motion in full in the Hansard record.
ORDERS FOR PAPERS
| Request | Moved by | Agreed to? | Due date |
| Bus manufacturing and procurement | The Hon Natalie Ward (Liberal) | Agreed to | 9 April 2025 |
| Mobile drug testing in NSW | Ms Cate Faehrmann (The Greens) | Agreed to | 23 April 2025 |
| Briefings on antisemitic or hate crimes | The Hon Rod Roberts (Independent) | Agreed to | 2 April 2025 |
| Antisemitic crime in NSW | The Hon John Ruddick (Libertarian Party) | Agreed to | 2 April 2025 |
| Address to the Governor – Papers relating to Ivan Robert Marko Milat | The Hon Jeremy Buckingham (Legalise Cannabis Party) | Agreed to | 16 April 2025 |
IN COMMITTEES
The House agreed to a motion moved by the Hon Rod Roberts (Independent) establishing a Select Committee on the relationship between the Dural caravan incident and Parliamentary debates on Legislation. Keep an eye on our committee website for details about this new inquiry published soon.
During the course of the days’ proceedings, the House agreed to a motion moved by the Leader of the Government the Hon Penny Sharpe, amending the resolution which establishes the Portfolio committees as a consequence of the recent Ministerial reshuffle. Read the motion in full in the Hansard record.
The House also agreed to a motion, moved by Minister Sharpe, adding extra days to the 2024/25 Budget Estimates session. The original hearing dates for the additional hearings for the portfolios of Roads and Regional Transport, and Customer Service and Digital Government, Emergency Services and Youth Justice, were postponed due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Read the full motion in the Hansard record, and find details about the new hearing dates on the Budget Estimates website.