[no bill text published] Ban on Face Coverings for People Participating in Public Assemblies
Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment (Public Assemblies) Bill 2025
Opposition BillLegislative Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Introduced by: Alister Henskens MP (LIB)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Justin Clancy LIB
“I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution to debate on the Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment (Public Assemblies) Bill 2025 and indicate my support for it. I thank the shadow Minister for Government Accountability for bringing the bill to the House and for his work to strengthen the law in New South Wales.”
Edmond Atalla ALP
“The New South Wales Government opposes the Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment (Public Assemblies) Bill 2025. At the outset, I note that the Opposition previously sought to advance most of the measures in this bill as amendments to the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. Those amendments were considered by this Parliament and were voted down.”
Karen McKeown ALP
“I speak in opposition to the Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment (Public Assemblies) Bill 2025. It is important to place this bill in its proper context. Many of the measures proposed by the Opposition are not new. In fact, most of them were previously moved as amendments to the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and were voted down by this Parliament.”
Alex Greenwich IND
“The Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment (Public Assemblies) Bill 2025 is heavy-handed, and it will exacerbate community tensions and undermine community safety. New South Wales already has some of the harshest laws around protests in the country, and I have repeatedly opposed draconian provisions that erode the right to protest.”
Greg Warren ALP
“It is with reservation that I contribute to debate on the Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment (Public Assemblies) Bill 2025, because I feel that now is a time for calm, and I believe the bill is a potential mechanism for further aggravation and division.”
Janelle Saffin ALP
“The New South Wales Government opposes the Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment (Public Assemblies) Bill 2025, and I will speak about why. The Opposition also moved most of the amendments in the bill as amendments to the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025, and those were voted down by the Parliament.”
Alister Henskens LIB
“In particular, I thank the members representing the electorates of Prospect, Albury, Mount Druitt, Penrith, Sydney, Campbelltown and Lismore. I gave the second reading speech for this private member’s bill on 13 November and 20 November 2025. At the time I commenced my second reading speech on 13 November last year, Nazis had protested for the second time in six months outside this Parliament.”
News articles and press releases
Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment (Public Assemblies) Bill 2025
Mr ALISTER HENSKENS, Member for Wahroonga — 2025-11-13
They have consistently voted down my attempts to bring forward legislation to stop extremist thugs hiding their faces in our public streets so that they can— [Time expired.]