“Well, I would think that all workplaces need to adhere to their policies in relation to how these matters are handled and I would say this in the media, the media sector has been highlighted in recent years as an area that needs improvement,” she told Sky News.

Rowland said the government was determined to act to strengthen protections against hate speech, adding that she believed the issue “should be above politics”.

Asked whether phrases such as “f--- the Jews”, which were chanted at the Sydney Opera House after the October 7 attacks in Israel, could be covered by the hate speech laws, Rowland told Sky News: “Potentially, because if that satisfied the criteria for hate speech, then this would operate in any scenario.”

Rowland said she could not reveal whether the government was considering prison sentences as a potential penalty for hate speech but added: “I will say that the area of penalties is one that has been examined very closely in terms of ensuring that these laws are effective.”

Rowland said she had received a distressing phone call from a friend whose child attends Mount Scopus, a leading Jewish school in Melbourne where threatening graffiti was found on the front fence on Saturday.

Loading

“I’ve never had someone on the phone, a friend like that, so distressed about that what’s happened. She said: ‘My grandparents and my husband’s grandparents fled the Holocaust and now we are here in Australia seeing this.’ So it is completely unacceptable,” she said.

Pressed on whether he supported independent Israeli and Palestinian states, Greens leader Adam Bandt told the ABC’s Insiders that “our view is that Israelis and Palestinians are both equally entitled to live in peace and security and exercise their rights to self-determination in accordance with international law”.

Rowland said that “the breakdown in social cohesion is one that this government takes very seriously ... and we make it clear that as a government we will not tolerate the kind of hatred and abuse on the basis of people’s race or religion”.

Rowland added: “I think there should be age limits on social media. Whether 16 is the correct age or not, is something that is the subject of live debate.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week backed calls to ban children from registering social media accounts until they are 16, saying that too much time spent online was damaging children’s mental health.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said: “Time and again we have seen gross examples of anti-Jewish hate speech on our campuses and streets, and online, go unpunished. No one has been prosecuted and there is no deterrence.

“Only tough Commonwealth legislation can provide the consistency of approach across Australia that is needed to convey a strong message against hate speech.”

Loading

Rodney Croome, spokesman for LGBTQIA+ advocacy group Just.Equal Australia, said: “We welcome the reports that hate crime penalties will be extended, but the devil will be in the detail.

“Will vilification on the grounds of gender identity and sex characteristics be included and will the kind of protection currently provided under 18c [of the Racial Discrimination Act] be made available for LGBTIQA+ people?”

Get the day’s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter.