Rightwing thinktank joins backlash to Queensland’s ‘vague’ proposed hate speech laws

The Guardian World

by Andrew Messenger

February 16, 2026

Institute of Public Affairs latest to raise free speech concerns over bill facing criticism from across the political divide Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast There is growing backlash to Queensland’s antisemitism laws on all sides of politics, with rightwing thinktank the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) the latest group to raise free speech concerns about the “vague” bill. Margaret Chambers, a research fellow at the IPA, said the bill would confer extraordinary power on a single minister to “engage in censorship and the criminalising of opinions and debate” on the basis of a subjective standard, without oversight by the courts. Continue reading...

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Originally published on The Guardian World on 2/16/2026