A parliamentary inquiry has opened into section 131a of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act, with advocates calling for something more clearly defined and tougher penalties for hate crimes.
A group of 20 non-profit organisations, the Cohesive Communities Coalition lobbied the state government for the inquiry as part of a broader review of the discrimination act in light of more targeted attacks in part attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Christchurch mosque massacre.
Section 131a requires approval of the attorney-general or director of public prosecutions, and in the past two decades there have only been three convictions, with lower awareness among police because it is in the Anti-Discrimination Act rather than the Criminal Code.