South Australia's first One Nation MP has backed moves to outlaw the public display of the swastika, including in tattoos.
The SA government has already begun investigating ways to ban the "Nazi hate symbol", but Sarah Game has said she intends to introduce her own bill to parliament to prohibit depictions in all but very limited circumstances.
While the swastika is notorious as the symbol of the Nazis, it also has entirely peaceful meanings in some world religions, and Ms Game said her bill would — like a proposal from Attorney-General Kyam Maher — allow exemptions for "genuine" religious and artistic purposes.
She said her bill was heavily based on laws already operating interstate, with only minor amendments.
"Unfortunately, the people involved in anti-Semitism usually find a way around these things and they come up with other symbols, but it's … the right thing for it to pass here as well," she told ABC Radio Adelaide.
"We have essentially got the same piece of legislation. There are really only two slight modifications.
"They are: to prohibit people tattooing themselves with swastikas from the date of the legislation passing — because, obviously, you can't really do anything about it if they've already gone and done that — and also just a slight restriction about artistic displays, to make sure that they aren't there to promote hate."
Police have previously said they were aware of far-right activity in SA, warning that some groups had sought to capitalise on the COVID-19 pandemic as a recruiting opportunity.
Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the state government remained committed to cracking down on the hate symbol and was currently investigating the legal framework.
"We've started work on this in South Australia and we're very keen to work with Sarah Game and other MPs," he said.
"One of the things we have got advice on so far is the implied freedom of political communication that's been read into the constitution and the need for any laws that any state passes to be appropriate and adapted for their purposes.
