In the light of escalating tensions between the “yes” and “no” campaigns, both the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and leader of the opposition, Bill Shorten, have reiterated that the marriage equality debate should be civil, respectful and, importantly, lawful.

Last week, emergency laws under the Marriage Law Survey (Additional Safeguards) Bill 2017 to ban vilification, intimidation, and threats in the same-sex marriage campaign were rushed through parliament. The new laws provide for offences for bribery and threats and civil penalties in relation to vilification, interference, discrimination and misleading or deceptive publications.

Civil penalties include fines of up to $12,600, however, any legal action for an alleged breach of the new law will need to be approved by Attorney-General George Brandis.

According to a government spokesperson who spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald:

It will be unlawful to vilify, intimidate or threaten to harm a person either because of views they hold on the survey or in relation to their religious conviction, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.”

That will be a sunset provision, it will only last for the period of the postal plebiscite.”

The laws are similar to state and territory anti-discrimination laws that do not currently exist at a Commonwealth level.

NSW Anti-Discrimination laws, for example, provide for respectful discussion and debate of matters in the public interest, however, these matters must be done reasonably and in good faith, or risk breaching laws designed to protect the people of NSW from vilification on the grounds of their homosexuality.