Nazi symbols ban push

TASMANIA is being urged to ban the public display of Nazi symbols, with a leader in the local Jewish community saying people from all backgrounds should be made to feel welcome in the state.

It comes after the Victorian government announced last week it would table legislation to ban the symbols – such as the swastika – in the first half of next year. This would make it the first state or territory to outlaw Nazi iconography.

Hobart Hebrew Congregation president Jeff Schneider applauded Victoria for committing to the ban and said Tasmania should follow suit.

“If it’s illegal in Melbourne, then why should it be legal in Hobart?” he said.

“Last year, in Perth, Tasmania, we had a resident, a neighbour of someone that was displaying a Nazi flag with a swastika on it – and this guy wasn’t Jewish, he wasn’t part of our community but he was standing up and saying he felt very uncomfortable with this around.

“And I spoke to him on the phone and he was really frustrated.

“He’d contacted (the local) council, he’d contacted the police and there was nothing that they could do from a legal perspective.”

Mr Schneider said any legislation to ban Nazi symbols would need to be “carefully constructed”, so as to avoid “overreach”.

Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said racists “revel in celebrating and keeping (Adolf) Hitler’s legacy alive in our nation”.

“As we witness a dramatic rise in anti-Semitism and white supremacy in Australia, along with a booming trade in Nazi memorabilia, the Tasmanian government has a golden opportunity to do the right thing and send the unmistakeable message that Nazism will never find a shelter in Tasmania,” Dr Abramovich said.

“When that historic day arrives, I will proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with Peter Gutwein and shake his hand for once and for all closing the lid on this issue and saying no to genocide and racism.”

This year, neo-Nazi graffiti was seen on the exterior of Parliament House and near Launceston Airport. In 2019, Launceston auction house Armitage Auctions sparked controversy when it sold items of Nazi memorabilia. In a budget estimates hearing on Wednesday, Attorney-General Elise Archer said she was “committed to looking at” outlawing the public display of Nazi symbols in Tasmania.

“Most members of our community would appreciate that this is a deeply upsetting issue for many in our community and that we don’t condone the displaying of it at all,” she said.

“We’ve taken the position in the past that memorabilia used as an educative function only is something that should remain and should be permitted.”