Mr NATHAN HAGARTY (Leppington) (15:58): I make a short contribution in strong support of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Hate Crimes) Bill 2026. The bill is a clear and very necessary response to hate crimes. I do not think any member of this House can, in good conscience, dismiss what has been a disturbing rise in targeted violence against the LGBTQIA+ community. Those acts are not isolated. They reflect a pattern of cruelty that undermines the safety and dignity that every person in this State deserves. The bill is a direct and necessary response to that reality. We have seen new apps and technology used to effect new ways of committing crime, and we need to change and create new laws in response. The recent attacks have revealed a particularly troubling trend: offenders luring victims through deception, committing very serious assaults and robberies, and then sharing recordings of those offences online. The behaviour not only inflicts physical harm; it humiliates the victims and encourages violence from those who see those particularly horrendous recordings. The bill directly confronts this particular part of the crime by expanding the existing "performance crime" offence to include serious assault and robbery, recognising the added harm caused when those acts are broadcast.

In addition, the bill introduces a new offence targeting those who use false and misleading representations to lure victims with the intent to harm them. Examples include creating fake profiles or using apps in ways that misrepresent and mislead or are disingenuous. Those measures fill a critical gap in the law by criminalising the preparatory stages of these attacks, even where the violence has not yet occurred. That is commendable because we should not wait for those acts to occur before we can prosecute. If people use false and misleading representations on those apps in preparation, the authorities should have the ability to stop it and penalise people where appropriate. This importantly reform reflects changes in technology and apps. As those change, so should the laws.

I hope the bill passes swiftly in this House and in the other place. The other place is on a go‑slow, but if the members in that House care about the community and the serious hate directed towards our LGBTQIA+ community, they will deal with the bill swiftly. For growing communities like mine in Leppington, this legislation matters. As new families settle and as communities take shape, they must feel confident that they can live openly and safely. Laws like these send a clear message that, no matter where you are in this State, hatred has no place, and everybody deserves to belong. I commend the bill to the House.