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Late Tuesday night, the Federal Government’s “Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026” passed both houses of parliament.

The ‘Hate Speech’ Bill in its original form was extremely unpopular. In response, the Labor Federal Government made changes to the bill and took out some of its worst sections.

We thank everyone who prayed for our nation and voiced their concerns to your politicians. Thank you. Your prayers and advocacy did make a difference.

On Monday night, the Australian Christian Lobby and the Canberra joined forces for a combined prayer meeting. Close to 900 people were a part of this nationwide prayer call!

Those leading this time of prayer included Michelle Pearse (CEO, ACL), Margaret Court (Victory Life Centre), Janine Kubala (Believe Church) and and the Canberra Declaration’s Kurt Mahlburg, Kym Farnik and myself (Warwick).

We did not see all our prayers answered as we desired. Many of the prayers prayed on Monday night remain as pressing and relevant as ever. Watch this important and encouraging time in the video below!

Serious Concerns About Hate Speech Bill Remain

Some view the revised Bill passing as a positive, but we still have grave concerns. Legitimate questions remain about why these laws were rushed through parliament and how they will be implemented. The Albanese government trashed the democratic process to pass this terrible bill.

The definitions used in the Bill are still very vague. One section states that you commit a criminal act if a “reasonable person” “would consider” that you “could” “offend, insult or intimidate” them because you said something in relation to their national or ethnic background.

Criminalising speech that “could” cause someone to feel offended has drastic implications for freedom of speech.

Who defines what “reasonable” means? Or what “offended” includes? It is far too subjective. Vaguely defined laws are bad laws.

We also have very serious concerns that these laws will be expanded in the future to include “gender identity and sexual orientation”. If they were, then an organisation like the Canberra Declaration could easily be listed as a ‘hate group’, shut down by the government, with jail terms imposed. You might have to come and visit us in jail and, no, we are not joking!

Why? Because someone may feel that the biblical and biological truth that there are only two sexes or that God defines marriage “insults” them or causes them to feel “intimidated”.

Last night, some independent senators along with the Greens attempted to do just that. Thankfully, these moves to include “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” in the Bill were voted down.

Next time, we may not be so fortunate. There are parliamentarians who would rejoice if they criminalised us.

National Day of Mourning for Bondi Attack

The Bondi terrorist attack which killed 15 Jewish people was a horrific act of murder of people made in God’s image.

In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for a minute’s silence at 7:01 pm AEDT today (Thursday, 22 January) as a part of a National Day of Mourning.

We encourage you to mark this occasion by holding a minute’s silence with your family and praying for the Jewish community which faces constant threats and fears daily for their lives.

Let us also mourn for the loss of free speech here in Australia with the passing of this horrendous bill which will do very little to solve the problem of antisemitism.

Many commentators are saying that the Prime Minister is using this hate bill as a smokescreen to cover his own horrific contribution to the terror attacks.

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison said,

“Mr. Albanese’s empty and ambivalent response to the October 7 terrorist attacks on Israel abrogated his responsibility for national leadership and created a dangerous vacuum that was filled by the worst streams of antisemitism this country has ever seen, producing a fivefold increase in antisemitic incidents, culminating in the extremist Islamist attack at Bondi on December 14.”

“His meandering and weak response to this attack left Australians embarrassed and the Australian Jewish community devastated. Hamas never praised the actions of my government, but they did praise Mr Albanese’s government.”

Please continue to pray that the evil of antisemitism will be adequately addressed by our governments and police force, and that the Australian community will refuse to allow this anti-Jewish sentiment to continue.

Our ultimate prayer is the same as Paul’s: “Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.” (Romans 10:1)

Ultimately, the government is attempting to solve a spiritual problem (antisemitism, driven by violent Islamist ideology) that only the Church has the answer to.

The answer is for the good news about Jesus Christ to transform countless individuals and communities. Then, and only then, will our nation be renewed.

Once again, thank you for continued support, advocacy and prayers. They have and are making a significant difference.

Yours for Christian faith, family, freedom and life,

Samuel Hartwich and Warwick Marsh