The Opposition has proposed a stronger crackdown on extremist preachers and dangerous hate groups to guarantee its support for Labor's hate laws.
The suite of reforms in response to the Bondi terror attack is likely to pass on Tuesday, after an initial breakdown in talks which forced Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to split up his omnibus bill and abandon racial vilification provisions.
It's understood Opposition leader Sussan Ley met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday to discuss strengthening hate laws after a shadow cabinet meeting on Sunday night. A formal announcement of the party's position is expected on Tuesday morning.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland indicated a deal had been struck after politicians held late night meetings on Monday night, in what she described as "constructive engagement".
"I will point out that the removal of the serious vilification provisions do mean that these remaining provisions in the prohibited hate groups section do need to do a lot of work," she told ABC radio on Tuesday morning.
Opposition education spokesperson and Jewish MP Julian Leeser wouldn't reveal details of the deal but agreed engagement had been constructive.
"We want to see those organisations that are engaged in those things disrupted. We want to see extremist organisations busted up. We want to see people brought to justice," he told ABC radio.
"That’s what we want to see. We want to see powers given to authorities to deal with those issues."
What are the Coalition's proposed amendments?
SBS News understands the Liberals are seeking several changes, including expanding a new aggravated offence for extremist preachers and leaders to include visiting speakers who spread hatred or violent extremist views.
Under the government's proposal, a religious official or spiritual leader found advocating or threatening violence against groups, in their preaching or religious instruction capacity, will face up to 12 years imprisonment.
The hate speech laws introduce a framework which will allow the home affairs minister to prohibit groups found to be engaging in or advocating hate crimes based on race, nationality or ethnic origin.
The provisions have a high bar, with the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation having to write to the home affairs minister to prohibit a group, with the attorney-general agreeing to the listing.
Once the group is prohibited, it will be a criminal offence to be a member of the group, to participate in its activities, to engage in recruitment or training, or to provide support or financial assistance.
The Opposition is seeking an amendment that would have its leader consulted on the listing and delisting of extremist organisations, improving bipartisanship for national security concerns.
Nationals senator Matt Canavan says he will not support the hate speech reforms. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
Nationals leader David Littleproud confirmed he "sees merit" in changes to the Migration Act, which will expand the power of the home affairs minister to refuse or cancel visas on several grounds, including if individuals have previously spread hatred or extremism publicly.
"We also are sympathetic and want to lean into the intent of the banning of hate groups, but we’ve got to make sure there’s no unintended consequences in terms of the legislation, and how that interacts and how far-reaching that goes," he told ABC's 7:30 on Monday night.
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan intends to vote against the package of reforms, claiming the framework to ban radical groups like Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir and the neo-Nazi National Socialist Network, would give the home affairs minister and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) undue powers.
"I’ve got serious concerns that the provisions here to ban entire organisations, make them persona non grata, are far too broad and give particularly the minister, the AFP minister in this case, way too much power to ban groups that go far and beyond organisations that would be encouraging or supporting violent acts in our country," he told ABC radio.
The government dropped racial vilification measures on the weekend. Those provisions would have criminalised the incitement of hatred towards another person or group on the grounds of race, colour, or national or ethnic origin.
Gun reforms to pass with Greens support
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke introduced the government's gun reforms to parliament, which will limit the number of firearms during a two-year buy-back period, review licensing requirements and create stricter security checks.
Burke explained how the implementation of the laws would have prevented licences for the two gunmen who opened fire near a Hannukah event in Bondi, killing 15 people.
"The father would have been ineligible because he was not a citizen. The firearms that they were using would not have been available to them. And the son who didn't have a firearms licence in any event, had he tried any intelligence holdings with respect to him would have formed part of the licensing decisions," he said.
"No one is pretending that dealing with guns deals with everything that happened at Bondi, but it does deal with the method, and we must deal with the method."
The gun reforms have the support of the Greens in the upper house and are expected to pass on Tuesday.
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