The federal government has passed minimum mandatory sentences of between one and six years for hate crimes.

The laws will introduce mandatory minimum sentences of six years for terror offences, three years for financing terrorism and one year for displaying hate symbols.

On 4BC Breakfast, Peter Fegan has labelled the move by Anthony Albanese as “one of the greatest backflips in history.”

Click PLAY to listen.

Former Labor minister Graham Richardson told Peter Fegan on 4BC Breakfast, “I think it’s a strength.”

“I think that you have to, in politics, be able to change direction.”

“The idea that you’re always going to be right, therefore you never need to change is nonsense,” Graham Richardson said.

Click PLAY to hear the full interview with Former Labor minister, Graham Richardson.

Image: Getty Images/Martin Ollman