"We did not support the bill, what you said was a lie".
Two Queensland senators vying for re-election have clashed live on 6 News over the hate crimes bill that passed parliament last month.
In February, the Albanese government's Criminal Code Amendment (Hate Crimes) Bill 2024 passed through parliament. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said it "creates new criminal offences and makes clear that advocating or threatening the use of force and violence is unacceptable and will be subject to serious criminal penalties".
The debate featured Legalise Cannabis lead candidate Belinda Jones, People First senator Gerard Rennick, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts and Libertarian Party lead candidate Jim Willmott.
During a segment in the debate where each candidate had the opportunity to ask another candidate one question, Senator Rennick directed his question to Senator Roberts.
"Given that Plato once said that 'silence is consent'...don't you think that not voting against that hate crimes bill was actually supporting the two major parties, and why are you continually calling me a liar when people view not taking a vote is actually supporting the bill?"
"Because you told a lie Gerard," Senator Roberts. responded. "I've always trusted you, thought you were very honest, until that time".
"Pauline [Hanson] and I were about to oppose the bill...but then we stopped, and we paused...what we said was there are aspects of the bill where we've got Australian groups...vilified and threatened with intimidation of physical force and violence. That is not acceptable in Australia".
Senator Rennick interjected, saying there's "state laws for violence, Malcolm".
"We sent a signal by abstaining," Senator Roberts said, but Senator Rennick hit back, saying "abstaining doesn't send a signal at all".
Speaking in support of a "good faith amendment," Senator Rennick said it would have avoided punishing "people who had no intention of offending anyone".
"Pete Evans got abused for putting up a black sun symbol that he didn't even know was a Nazi symbol, are you saying that under those hate crime laws they could go to jail? I looked at the black sun symbol and I didn't even know it was a Nazi sign myself, I could've posted that not knowing what I was doing".
"Gerard, we did not support the bill," Senator Roberts replied. "We did not support the bill, you told a lie in saying that we did. That bill was rushed into the Senate, it should not have been voted on, it should not have been guillotined."
The "guillotine", officially known as a "declaration of urgency", is a procedure whereby a majority may ensure that debate on a bill eventually comes to a conclusion and the questions necessary for the passage of the bill are put to a vote, according to the Parliament website.
Responding to Senator Rennick, Senator Roberts said "he did lie − that's a fact."
"He not only let the lie out there, he then left it out there for 220,000 people on X to see and to like. That was deliberate and blatant."
"Pauline and I told the people that we were opposed to the bill because it was reckless, the language was not right, it was too loose and sloppy. We recognised that. But we wanted to send a signal to the people who are living in this country under threats of physical violence and force. We did not support the bill, what you said was we did, and that was a lie and you left that lie as the opening to your video".
"Yep, and it'll stay there because you didn't vote against it," Rennick concluded.
The two incumbents clashing wasn't the only fiery moment, with heated discussion around public banks, renewable energy and minor party alliances also taking place.
A full replay of the Queensland Senate debate can be viewed here.