Australia shouldn't legislate a controversial definition of antisemitism or impose penalties for breaching it, Coalition frontbencher James Paterson says.
Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal on Thursday handed down a plan on combating hatred against Jewish people.
She recommended Australia adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which some groups argue conflates criticism of Zionism and Israel with antisemitism.
The plan also urges the government to cut funding to universities, programs or academics that enable or fail to act against antisemitism.
All public funding agreements with festivals or cultural institutions should include terms to allow for the termination of the agreement when they promote or facilitate hatred, it further states.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is mulling over the findings and has yet to commit to implementing the recommendations.
Paterson said the IHRA definition is a "helpful guideline" because what constitutes antisemitism is highly contested.
"It has been a very helpful tool and helpful guideline. No-one in Australia, though, is proposing that [it] should be legislated or that there should be consequences under the law for transgressing IHRA," he told ABC's RN on Tuesday.
"I don't think anyone should propose that. I don't think that'd be consistent with Australia's approach to free speech."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he will consider antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal's plan's recommendations, but has not committed to it in full. Source: AAP / Dan Himbrechts
Calls for antisemitism envoy to resign
Segal has been called on to resign in recent days after revelations that a trust linked to her husband donated to the right-wing political lobby group Advance Australia.
Her husband, John Roth, is a director of Henroth Discretionary Trust, which made the donation in the 2023/2024 financial year, according to Australian Electoral Commission records. Segal is not listed as a director or shareholder of the company, and there is no suggestion Segal herself was directly involved in the donation.
Segal denied any involvement following reports of the donation, which were published by the Guardian and, more recently, by independent outlet The Klaxon.
"No-one would tolerate or accept my husband dictating my politics, and I certainly won't dictate his," Segal told SBS News in a statement. "I have had no involvement in his donations, nor will I."
Former foreign minister Bob Carr said Segal must clarify she does not share her husband's political views.
"What I'm asking for her is a full-bodied repudiation of views that are every bit as repugnant as the antisemitism that she focuses on and she addresses," he told Sky News.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended Segal, saying she should not be held accountable for the actions of a man.
"It's a long time since we've been a country where you would blame a woman for decisions of her husband," he told ABC's 7.30 show on Monday.
"She said she didn't know about it, and I've got no reason to do anything other than believe her."
